ROBINSON CRUSOE (Birmingham Hippodrome) Review December 2012

Britain's biggest pantomime sails into Birmingham and it truly is swashbuckling fun and hilarity... with the Conley slant on things, of course.

Right from the off it's clear that this is the pantomime of the 21st Century, combining panto traditions with the latest exciting technology. In flies a video screen and a message from the main man himself - Brian Conley has everyone in hysterics before the show has even properly begun.

A ship sails onto the stage and is magnificent in size and detail, Ian Westbrook's design for the whole production is breathtaking. The sets are lavish and are a far cry from the days of the painted backcloth. 

Joining Brian as the beautiful Polly is local girl Kathryn Rooney, re-uniting the duo that played Buttons and Cinderella in last year's Hippodrome pantomime, and there's more than the odd reference to that! They make a wonderful team and work well to keep the audience enthused and entertained. The close of act one, without wanting to spoil too much is a moment of pure joy that echoes Brian Conley's days at the London Palladium as Caractacus Potts.

Mrs Crusoe is perhaps one of the lesser known pantomime dames, but Andrew Ryan ensures that she is one of your favourite. His facial expressions in particular are most hilarious. Andrew knows how to work an audience and can rock a dress better than a lot of women ever could. Just like Nigel Ellacott in Wolverhampton this year Andrew is a master of the multi-layer strip routine. Wolverhampton and Birmingham are blessed with the best dames in the business this year. James Patterson pictured with Andrew above is a great addition as Polly's father, the Major General. Gavin Woods makes a boo-able baddie. 

Swooping in from the flys on her enchanted shell is the Enchantress of the Ocean Lesley Joseph (Calendar Girls). Lesley acts as a narrator and regularly casts magic spells to further the story. One of the shows highlights is her song 'It's Me' that features a chorus of merpeople. It's a large cast and made up of ten dancers the ensemble are an experienced group who really shine in Lesley's number, literally. The ensemble are Simon Campbell, Stephanie Elstob, Rachel Ensor, Jamie Ray Hartshorne, James Hughes-Ward, Jane McMurtrie, Sergio Milella, Elliot Nixon, Soeli Parry and Kimmi Richards.

Earl R Perkins is the hunky islander Friday who together with Kathryn is involved in a scene in which a tree does his hair... yes that's right - Conley is rather random. There are puppets aplenty, of course greeted with the famous catchphrase. 

Another scene of particular hilarity involves Brian Conley, an apple and Kathryn Rooney's face. There really is humour for everyone of all ages and of all humour types; slapstick, witty, dry, random, ridiculous... it's got it all. 

Wait... we're not done yet! Not only does the pantomime have all of that, but what pantomime is as entertaining without a troupe of Cossack dancers!? The Mazeppa Cossacks are a surprise and thrilling addition to the show and of course it wouldn't be fair to not let Brian in on the fun. 

Audience participation in this show is unlike any other. The audience are filmed onto a large screen, Helen from Row D got up and danced Gangnam Style on stage, and there were plenty of opportunities for the children to be a part, especially in a rendition of I Am The Music Man which provides Brian the opportunity for some very funny ad-lib with the children.

There really is nothing left out of this pantomime, it has every old tradition and every new invention. This has to be the largest scale pantomime production you will see this year. Completely unmissable. The Birmingham Hippodrome is the only theatre to host a professional production of Robinson Crusoe this year and so it surely is the place to be!

Call the box office on 0844 338 5000 or book tickets online here: http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/WhatsOn_focus.asp?showId=1737

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (Wolverhampton Grand Theatre) Pantomime Roadshow

The magic of pantomime came early to the children of Field View Primary School in Bilston this morning. This year's pantomime Dame, Nigel Ellacott has been busy spreading the festive cheer to schools all over the country in a tour that teaches children about the traditions of pantomime. The tour has already visited London, Bradford, Glasgow and Aberdeen and is now visiting ten local schools in Wolverhampton and the surrounding area.

After helping with the get-in (yes, I have backstage skills too) it was time for the pupils of years 1 to 6 to find their seats in the audience - the show was about to begin... but wait...! Mr Daniel, the director had a very big problem, the star act had taken ill and he had to find a... a.... oh what's the word when an actor has to take the place of another actor? "Stunt double" said one of the children, no... "Intern"... "Double act" ... we finally got to 'Understudy' and on came the suitable replacement. From then on in the children got to learn about life backstage including how to put on stage makeup and the secrets of the quick change. They were understandably impressed with a five second transformation from a Chinese Emperor to Dame Trott. 

Joining Nigel for the Roadshow is pantomime legend Andrew Ryan and Musical Theatre performer Nathan Daniel. Both experienced pantomime dames Nigel and Andrew have plenty of expertise. Nathan trained at Laine Theatre Arts and has since starred in various pantomimes and toured the UK in the 50th anniversary tour of West Side Story. 

Between them all they performed comedy routines, introduced familiar pantomime characters and lead everybody in an all-singing finale of My Hat Has Got Three Corners. The children learnt that the pantomime dame is always a man and that sometimes the principal boy is played by a woman - how many times have we seen Bonnie Langford as Peter Pan? There was a short interval (that's a break in the performance) and then the children were given the chance to ask some of their own questions. 

Questions varied from "what's it like to be an actor?" to "how long does it take to learn a really big script?". Nigel likes about two weeks to look over his - "It's only 32 days until opening night, and even less until rehearsals I've still not had the script, I'm on edge!"

One girl told us that her favourite part was the whoopee-cousins. "They love the toilet humour, they'll laugh at almost anything, but they always love that bit" Nigel added. 

Nigel is starring as Dame Trott in this year's pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Andrew Ryan will be directing Snow White in Mansfield before starring as Mrs Crusoe in Robinson Crusoe at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Nathan Daniel will be taking to the stage in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle. 

You can find out more information about the roadshow along with heaps and heaps about Pantomime on Nigel's website (http://www.its-behind-you.com/roadshow.html) and other education events on the Grand theatre's new Pantomime website (http://grandtheatrepanto.co.uk/teachers-zone).

Nigel has been busy promoting the pantomime for the last few months - which included a trip to meet the Tapirs at Dudley Zoo, the pantomime's local partner. Nigel hosted the race night, a press event at the Wolverhampton Racecourse in September and his account of both the zoo and the race night can be read on his website, in the articles section: http://www.its-behind-you.com

The Grand Theatre have recently set up their own blog which will include all of the backstage shenanigans from the pantomime and for the productions visiting the theatre in 2013. You can read about the latest panto star Ben James-Ellis and his visit to the theatre here: http://grandbackstageblog.co.uk

If you want to book tickets to this years giant pantomime spectacular you can call the Grand Theatre box office on 01902 429212 or book via the website here: http://grandtheatre.info/WhatsOn_focus.asp?ShowId=604&sC=page46