Yes, it’s that time of year again (‘Oh no, it isn’t!), it was off to Milton Keynes for our annual Panto visit!
Going to MK at this time of year for our Panto-fix has become quite a tradition, having seen Cinderella in late 2023, Snow White in early 2023 and Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022!
Janet, as usual, booked it, together with a planned ‘cheeky Chinese’ afterwards at 8.15, just round the corner.
Cast-wise, the only one I’d heard of was Craig (now sporting a bushy beard – I’m assuming he’s playing Captain Hook!)
Wow! What a performance! With (comedian and ventriloquist) Max Fulham as Smee stealing the show together with his cheeky Monkey (literally!), ‘Gordon’. With Zara MacIntosh as Tink, Evelyn Hoskins as Wendy and Ross Carpenter as Peter, they won the audience over the audience from the off, and we were soon cheering and hissing like the rest of the kids!!! 👍😁
CRH was indeed playing Captain Hook and was the perfect villain with his ‘Strictly’ references and catchphrases! I think he enjoyed every minute of his role tonight! He’d even grown a beard for the part (no doubt to the annoyance of the company who produced the advertising posters!) 😉
Completing the cast was a group of acrobats that impressed us all with their gymnastic abilities.
A cracking good Panto – maybe the best we’ve seen in a while (I’m sure we say that every year) with everyone at the top of their game. It’s worth mentioning two aspects that added to the overall enjoyment… One: Max Fulham was nothing short of EXCELLENT! None of us had ever seen a ventriloquist live before – and his voice skills were simply outstanding! Two: When Craig Revel Horwood sang his cover of ‘My Way’ towards the end of the production, I think we all saw him in a different light – what a powerful and emotional performance! 👍👍
Next year, it’s Goldilocks and Three Bears starring Brian Conley and others (yet to be announced).
Cheeky Chinese!
With the Panto over for another year, we headed for the Chinese restaurant, a few minutes away.
As usual for this time of the year, it was frantically busy when we arrived just after 8.15, but it got progressively quieter as meals ended and customers headed elsewhere to see in the new year.
Having carefully worked-out what we fancied and being careful not to over-order (we ordered for FOUR even though there were five of us)… we failed spectacularly with the Shanghai Set-Menu, and we still had far too much food! The service was like it always is here – outstanding. The waiters even ran around to ensure everyone was attended to! 👏.
We finally gave up force-feeding ourselves just before 10. We said our goodbyes outside as Ann wasn’t sure she’d make it through until midnight and we headed back to our cars. What a fantastic evening! The journey home was hassle-free with very few cars on the road and we were soon indoors.
Hello 2025!
Back home, Ann turned in whilst I watched a little of Graham Norton, Jools Holland and then Sophie Ellis Bextor’s Kitchen Disco Party before crashing out at a pathetically early 11.45pm! Sadly, neither of us were quite the Party Animals that we hoped for, so here are the London Fireworks that we missed! 😯😕.
Happy New Year! 🥂🥂
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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