Oh, yes it is, it’s Panto Season! This year we joined Jo, Janet, Helen and Carol for Cinderella!

Closer to home too, as we headed to The Lighthouse Theatre right here in Kettering, rather than the usual trip to MK! . Keeping it local meant we could pay a visit to the quaint ‘Blitz Tea Rooms‘ in town that we haven’t been to for a good few years (July 2018!) for some pre-Theatre nibbles.

As the name suggests, this is a 1940s-themed Tea Room.

We arrived just before 12.15 and the place was deserted, but happily, it soon filled up, and by the time we left, it had quite an atmosphere.

It was ‘light-bites’ all round, where the food and service were as good as we remember it! It’s a charming location, with prices that are still very kind on the wallet – and the quirky themed interior makes it equally unforgettable. Personally, if it weren’t tucked away near the Library and was located with the rest of the shops in the town, I’m sure it would be even busier.

Quirky and enjoyable!

Our next stop? The Lighthouse Theatre

Judging by how full their car park was, this was a popular event. Once we got inside, it was, as expected, PACKED! When the curtain went up at 2pm, it was pretty much a full house. For me, it was slightly weird that there was no cast list, and we certainly didn’t recognise anyone in the few publicity posters we’d seen leading up to today’s matinée.

I did wonder if this was going to be a poor imitation of the more lavish productions we’d got used to at MK over the years, but I needn’t have worried! . I learned later this was a KD Theatre Production err, production, and they’ve got quite a track record with Pantos.

‘Buttons‘ got the audience onside from the off, and the Ugly Sisters were entertaining enough to have the whole Panto to themselves! The singing was well above average, and the choreography was spot on! Even the plug for the show’s Sponsors (Wilson Browne Solicitors) was delivered in such a way, for it not to feel forced – and it even received an appreciative response from the audience!

I liked the way the script had been updated to reflect contemporary culture, including: naming the Ugly Sisters, ‘Tess’ and ‘Claudia’/a non-complimentary reference to Rachel Reeves/something about the number ’67’ (which I didn’t ‘get’ and even after looking it up HERE, it didn’t help much!)

Yes, it was just as a Panto should be – laugh-out-loud funny – with jokes as corny as they come. For us, the funniest (and original) part was the ventriloquist sketch featuring a member of the audience. I won’t spoil it here, but it’s worth going JUST for that scene – HILARIOUS! . There was some genuinely innovative stuff too! – a variation on The 12 Days of Christmas Carol plus a short sketch involving a shopping trolley full of ‘big brand’ carrier bags (cleverer and funnier than my description here!)

It was a two hour performance with a 25-minute break exactly halfway through. It passed in a flash, and like all good productions, it was over too soon. When I got home, I decided to do a little digging to identify the cast members who had impressed us so much. Success!

• Cinderella (Maisie Asbury)
• Wicked stepsisters Tess (Michael Loftus) and Claudia (Dominic Mattos)
• Buttons (Sean ‘Rollo’ Rollason)
• Prince Charming (Daniel Breakwell)
• Dandini (Jon-Scott Clark)
• Fairy Godmother (Jessie Waterfield)

This had been a great afternoon! Not just a quality performance, but just a short distance from home and a good value Lunch too! I think today proved that you don’t need a ‘headline name’ in a Pantomime cast list for it to be a success. The Panto here next year is Peter Pan, and it’ll be on our (very short) short list! Today may not have featured any Turkey, but we’ve certainly topped-up on the Christmas Spirit!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Cinderella) 2025 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

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!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Peter Pan) 2024 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to the local Lighthouse Theatre to see the ‘adult’ Panto: Jack and the Beanstalk! We’ve not been to an ‘adult’ Panto before, and this one promised that it was ‘very rude’, ‘full of innuendo’ and with ‘plenty of audience participation’! .

With the ‘audience participation’ part ringing VERY uncomfortably in our ears, we realised we were prime targets, with seats near the front, in ROW B!! That immediately sounded postiviely dangerous until we spotted we were actually seated in the CIRCLE! Phew! .

We were soon seated – looking for places to hide, should we need to! Just take a look at that official blurb above for tonight’s performance… . This was either going to be a memorable evening…or a car crash. It was also my first ‘official’ social event without my recent recent companion – the splint on my left arm – where I was hoping that the sign of that alone would dissuade ANY of the cast thinking I was a target for participation!

We’ll see! Eeek!

Popular?

Well, judging by how many people were already there when we arrived- a big YES! On taking our seats in the Circle, it was clearly a full-house. In a first from my experience of this Theatre, prior to curtain-up, there was an announcement for everyone to vote by DM on Facebook to vote for which member of the cast should be nominated to get drunk during the performance!

The Royal Opera House this WASN’T! .

So far, all the signs were that this would turn out to be the sort of production that Ann and I would hate… but do you know what – as things turned out, it was one of the funniest evenings we’ve had at the theatre for ages (probably EVER!). All the essential Panto ingredients were there – cheeky lead, multi-talented Dame, Fairy Godmother (sort of!) the obligatory Panto Cow, plenty of song & dance etc etc. And once we got over the shock of the VERY obscene language (it took me a while!) and the threat of audience participation ( I think the ‘member of the audience’ chosen to have eggs rubbed in her hair was a ‘plant’) – it felt all very traditional! The audience was onside from the off, which clearly helped, and the three-hour production passed in a flash. Best of all, the cast looked like they were having the time of their lives. The frequent ‘corpsing’ and ad-libbing was a testament to that!

Would we go and see future productions (I think their next one is ‘Aladdin’) – a definite yes – but it’s probably NOT one suitable for your Granny!

Well done to everyone who made tonight such a treat! You can read more about them – ‘Pissed-up Panto’ – HERE (Facebook)

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Adults Only!) appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Off to Milton Keynes Theatre to see their Panto performance – Cinderella!

Sadly, Carol was not feeling 100% and couldn’t join us. Janet took on taxi duties, picked us up just before 4.30 and we were soon on our way in the cold and wet weather heading for MK `and the 6pm performance.

They’re always great productions here at the MK Theatre, and this is our third consecutive year, having enjoyed Snow White in 2023 and Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022. Afterwards, we’d booked a new year celebratory Chinese meal at nearby Taipan and then we plan to see the new year in at J & J’s.

The roads were pretty empty `and after a hassle-free (but damp) journey, just as we arrived, the weather deteriorated further and it began chucking it down as we took the short (and very wet and ‘hoods-and-brollies-essential’!) walk to our destination. Ticket-checking took no time at all, and we were soon in the warm and dry. Judging by the sheer numbers, it was certainly well-supported, with a packed house tonight!

After a quick coffee, we took our seats together with the rest of the population of Bucks!

We had a great view and as things were to turn out, we were glad we weren’t too close to the stage as ‘audience participation’ was all part of tonight’s performance! “Oh, yes it was!”

6pm – curtain up!

Brian Conley (BC) has lost none of his magic and he really carried the show. The rest of the cast, we’d not heard of, but it was good that BC’s daughter was part of it all, playing ‘Fairy 312’. As you might expect (being a Panto) there were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, and you can’t beat a bit of ‘toilet humour’ (especially if it involves an actual toilet!).

In truth, in spite of the many laughs, it wasn’t the funniest panto we’ve seen here. Without the ymany ears of acting, performing and general panto craft that BC brought to the production, it would have all felt a bit flat – it really needed a few more known faces to act as a foil for ‘Rocky’. Ironically, the funniest part for us was right at the end when BC invited a family from the audience on to the stage. Whether they were a plant or not, we don’t know, but one of the children was so hyper-active, it forced the star to ad-lib like I’d never seen before, just to simply keep control of proceedings. He was masterful, and the funniest thing I’d seen on stage in ages!

Next stop? Something to eat…

Janet had booked us a table at nearby Taipan. It was perfect timing as we sat down at our 8.40 booking with a minute to spare! It was a great atmosphere and although quite busy when we arrived, it quietened down a lot during our meal.

Choosing what to eat was easy and we opted for the Shanghai Set Menu with extra Chicken Noodles. Service was as good as ever and their speed of service has lost none of its velocity. The food was super-yummy and by the time we left, just after 10, we were one of the last.

Heading home, the roads were again, pretty much deserted, and we arrived back at J&J’s just after 11 where we caught up with the last 20 minutes of Graham Norton on BBC1. We’re all fans of Rick Astley and he was performing a special set afterwards, either side of the fireworks. It was a cracking good show and I think he would have gained a few more fans tonight based on this one-off.

We saw in the new year and exchanged some small New Year gifts. A Faraday Pouch from Jo & Janet and book about Latin from Ann.

These days, being more ex-Party Animals, after the short (and very cold) walk ‘up the hill’ we got to bed around 1am!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Cinderella) 2023 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Oh yes, we are! — we’re at the Panto!

Milton Keynes was our destination today, together with Jo, Janet & Carol for this year’s offering – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The last time we were in ‘Panto Mode’ was (also) in MK last January to see Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022, starring Ashley Banjo. On that occasion, the performance, although very enjoyable, was hampered by Covid and consequently, a distinct lack of cast.

No issues at all this year, where familiar faces: Lesley Joseph, (Judge) Rob Rinder and Paul Chuckle plus comedian/impressionist/singer Aaron James, singers/actors Dale Mathurin and Charlotte Haines were ready and waiting to get us in the Panto mood.

After a spot of lunch at nearby Taipan Chinese Restaurant, we took our seats at Milton Keynes Theatre.

It looks like it would be a full house judging by the sheer number of people inside (and queuing outside).

By the time the curtain went up at just after 2.30pm, there were just a handful of empty seats left – a good sign surely!

Any good?

It was a thoroughly entertaining performance. The audience were onside pretty much from the off, and as Act 1 got underway, both kids and adults were soon competing with who was laughing the most. Forget the storyline, as it hardly mattered, simply providing a framework for a continuous stream of typical panto-humour that clearly delighted everyone there – us included! In fact, delighted, was probably an understatement, as I don’t think we’ve laughed so much, and so often, in ages!

All-in-all then, a thoroughly well-rehearsed, professionally delivered show. The cast looked like they were enjoying it as much as we were too! Hard to pick a standout moment but for me, ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’; ‘the sword & cucumber’ sketches; and the ‘Spanish’ gags (Q: ‘What do you call a Spaniard who’s lost his vehicle?’ A; ‘Carlos’/Q: ‘What do you call a Spaniard who’s just left hospital?’ A: ‘Manuel’). Yes, c’mon, it’s Panto so drop your quality threshold!!!!

Their final performance is tomorrow and next year’s production is Cinderella.

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! . Thanks for organising things Janet! Pity about the weather home though – the familiar torrential rain that reminded us of our time away for the new year! – thanks for doing the driving Jo.

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pantomime (Snow White) 2023 appeared first on Steve's Blog.

With 2021 behind us “(Oh no it isn’t!”)… it’s Panto time!

Janet and Jo picked us up and after a late breakfast at The Old Forge, and we headed for Milton Keynes Theatre.

We haven’t been to a Pantomime, we think, for about 15 years. Back then, the cast would likely to have been made up of soap-stars and comedians. Fast-forward quite a few performances – and years – and things feel a bit different.

For this production, we have Ashley Banjo (the well-known English street dancer, choreographer and actor as well as being the leader of dance troupe Diversity). We were reminded that they won the third series of Britain’s Got Talent way back in 2009.

Who else..?

Alongside them is Pete Firman – English magician, comedian and television presenter together with Gina Murray, actress, who appeared in Sorted (2000), Ankh 3: Battle of the Gods (2008) and BBC3’s (very under-rated) comedy Witless (2016). For those of us of a certain age, she’s also has a famous Dad: songwriter, record producer and author, Mitch Murray.

We arrived in good time! There was a small queue outside as part of the Covid Passport checking, but we were soon inside. A quick drink was in order before taking our seats. It filled up pretty quickly and by curtain-up it was pretty much a sell-out.

Any good..?

In a word: Absolutely!

In a sentence: The perfect tonic for a cold, damp January afternoon!

In a paragraph: Covid had taken its toll on the cast. Gina Murray was MiA, but her understudy gave a brilliant performance as Mother Nature – a great singing voice too! Ashley Banjo made a good fist of the character Jack, but he looked somewhat nervous in the first few scenes and a bit out-of-place amongst the thesps. Ashley Banjo’s group Diversity almost didn’t live up to its name, having been reduced to just three in total this afternoon – with the remaining performers down with the dreaded virus (we estimated around 10 missing). Pete Firman, as Simon, was the glue that held it all together and did a great job of keeping the audience involved. His magic tricks were more Tommy Cooper than Penn & Teller, but it suited the narrative perfectly. Dame Trot, played by Jack Land Noble came across as a seasoned professional in the world of pantomimes, and played his part with energy, commanding a real presence on stage. Elsewhere, for me, the most memorable scene featured Tilly, Simon and Jill, where Simon mimed to snippets of popular songs as part of their dialogue – ruthlessly well-rehearsed and delivered ‘straight’ and with confidence. In a later scene (featuring most of the main characters) I’ll can now never look at a wooden spoon and a saucepan in the same way again! Ouch! – the audience, as a result, like me, were in raptures! Given the logistical challenges, it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends!

Today had all the hallmarks of a typical panto: Plenty of laughs, corny jokes, a smattering of double-entendres for the Mums and Dads, plenty of “…behind you…” and “oh no, he isn’t…” moments, a water pistol plus a few songs with suitably modified lyrics to suit the venue and location. All in all, a laugh-out-loud Pantomime for which the audience quite rightly showed their enthusiastic appreciation when the curtain fell. But best of all, the cast looked like they were enjoying every second of the performance. And so were the kids! (noisy sods!!!). Oh, and Daisy the Cow never looked nor sounded better! At the end, a few heartfelt words from Ashley himself reminded us how they had struggled to keep the panto running given the number of people down with the virus – it left us all appreciating this performance even more. A great investment of magic beans this afternoon!

Steve Palmer

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!

I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

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