Potted Panto at The Garrick Theatre

No year is complete without a trip to the panto each Christmas. This year I was fearful that I wouldn’t get my annual trip(s) to my festive favourites but I needn’t have worried, Potted Panto at The Garrick swooped in to save my festive season.

Potted Panto promises 7 pantos in 70 minutes. This means 7 pantos for the price of one, which is exactly what I needed this year. We are therefore treated to the best moments from pantos such as The Cinderella dress reveal, dishy price charming, the 7 dwarves, King rat taking on Dick’s cat but all with a potted panto twist. The show is fast paced, never dwelling to long on a particular panto (well there is 7 to get through) and whilst there isn’t some of the big production numbers we have often come to associate with pantomime in this day and age it has plenty of the comedy for adults and children alike to make up for it! They cleverly work in the audience participation, both explaining its use as the same time as making it part of the show. It’s just an understandable shame that the Garrick is only allowed to be 50% full in these moments as they are often the most magical when theatres are bursting full!

The majority of the show is performed solely by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner who have been working together for almost 15 years! Turner plays the ‘straight man’ to Clarkson’s fool. This is a dynamic that serves them well and enables a consistent narrative throughout the show and helps tie the various pantos together. They work brilliantly with each other; lots of clear chemistry and an ease that is apparent having worked together for so long. Turner plays everyone from Dick Whittington to Cinderella and from King Rat to Snow White where as Clarkson plays nearly all of the other roles such as the beanstalk, a cow, the ugly stepsisters, Prince Charming and the 7 dwarves (!).
If your ‘normal’ pantomime is not on this year the do check out Potted Panto, it is witty, fast paced and plenty of relevant jokes which guarantees even the Scrooges amongst us a chuckle or two!
Potted Panto is on at the Garrick Theatre until the 10th January. You can buy tickets here.
If you kike this review you can also read my reviews of The Last 5 Years and read about the Theatre shop and Bottle bar for cocktails at home if you are thinking of Christmas gifts.