Wednesday 23 December 2009

I enjoyed watching JB in panto yesterday, Oh yes I did!


The New Theatre, Cardiff - John Barrowman as Robin Hood.

I had the pleasure of watching John Barrowman in panto yesterday afternoon... what a complete joy! I laughed from beginning to end, it was totally awesome! I was sat in the stalls, so had a fantastic view of the stage... in any event it is a wonderfully intimate theatre!

I watched JB in panto in Cardiff a couple of years ago, he starred in Jack and the Beanstalk. (Last year he was in panto in Birmingham playing Robin Hood). Anyway, I had a fab time then, watching JB as Jack... but the production yesterday surpassed that!

During the performance yesterday, in character as Robin, JB mentioned...
- that he had a friend who owned a TARDIS and he could ask him for help!!
- that he was more than willing to go looking for merry men!!
- he also quoted Bart and said at one point to 'eat my shorts'!

- asked if it was Torchwood or Sherwood! (Torchwood was mentioned a few more times during the panto!)
- said 'Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic' - this is what he says when he acts as a judge on the talent shows!

JB also had an interesting conversation with the Churchill dog prop, when he was brought onto the stage as part of the panto! JB mimicked the dog... very funny! (Yeah, you had to be there I think!!)

During the end of the first half of the performance, most of the stage was filled with a
n ice rink. JB did a mighty fine job skating and singing Brian Adams song 'Everything I do, I do it for you'.

A few times during the performance JB was in a fit of giggles after the audience were making up their own adult jokes!! at one point he said that he had a few things (jokes) he could say but wouldn't, and to write to him if we wanted to know!!

Throughout the performace, along with the sheriff, there was an eight foot monster, which I thought resembled a Silurian!... During the panto JB did say that it looked like a Doctor Who monster!

At the end, JB thanked the audience for helping make this panto the most succesful that The New Theatre had ever staged. I recall reading an article in the South Wales Echo not that long ago reporting how the sellout of this panto had been a much needed lifeline for the theatre.

JB also said, that although we had all had to pay for duck houses and the like this year! could we PLEASE donate to a much needed local charity, people with buckets will walk up and down the aisle at the end... £2,000 had already been raised.

It was evident that JB had put a great deal of effort into his performance, and seemed to be having a good a time as everyone else! he throughly deserves all the praise he gets!

John Barrowman as Robin Hood - TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME!

***** 5/5

You must try and get hold of a ticket... it will be the best thing you do this Christmas / New Year! :-)

Read a review by WalesOnline, posted a few days ago...

CLICK HERE:

1 comment:

Combom said...

I enjoyed watching JB in panto yesterday, Oh yes I did!

Oh no you didnt!