Alternative London pantomime round-up 2022: Rumpelstiltskin, Sing-derella and more

With the cancellation of regular alternative Christmas shows at the Battersea Barge and Leicester Square Theatre, and the closure of Above the Stag, the future of the adult or alternative pantomime looked bleak. However, the producers of these shows are a resilient bunch, and it turns out that there’s still plenty of fun to be had: it’s just that they’re popping up at different venues. 

Not long after ATS closed earlier this year, the creative team behind its hugely successful annual pantomime announced a new production company called He’s Behind You!. It was too late to pull anything together for this season, so instead authors Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper swiftly penned Ghosted! Another Fucking Christmas Carol (Other Palace, December 1-24, ★★★★): a suitably sardonic title, bearing in mind the number of adaptations of the Dickens classic this year. 

Simply staged by Andrew Beckett and performed by four actors at the Other Palace’s basement studio, it’s an understated triumph of smut and social commentary. Elouisa Scrooge (Natalie Boakye) is a shifty, self-made landlord, visited by four ghosts (all played by a comically ruthless Christopher Lane). Bradfield and Hooper’s brisk comedy is razor-sharp, capturing the spirit of Dickens’ original and punctuating the narrative with bawdy reworkings of several Christmas carols. This may be a fallow year for the duo’s panto-writing talents, but fans will find everything they need in this breakneck romp. 

In Clapham, where the Omnibus is celebrating its The Stage Award nomination for Fringe Theatre of the Year, production company Bap! presents Sing-derella (Omnibus, December 1-17 ★★★). Created by Tom Ryalls, Tim Kelly and Scott Le Crass, this chaotic karaoke pantomime is performed by a different artist each night, with the help of a dressing-up box and an up-for-it audience. Its riff on the Cinderella story draws heavily on 1990s culture and characters. The Fairy Godmother is trapped in a karaoke machine, and the host has to help her escape while fending off intervention from stepsisters Kim and Aggie, only pausing occasionally to belt out an Atomic Kitten or Destiny’s Child hit.  

Bap! has hit on a great idea here, and although its success is heavily reliant on the guest artist each night, this is a show that is truly led by its audience. At the performance I saw, Paines Plough actor Yasmin Dawes gave it her best shot, launching gamely into every role. Sing-derella may be scrappy, but there’s definitely mileage in a show that unites its punters so effectively.

While pantomime is a distinctly British tradition, drag culture exists globally in many forms. Matthew Lombardo’s one-woman show Who’s Holiday! (Southwark Playhouse, December 7-January 7, ★★★★) showcases the talent of American Ru Paul’s Drag Race favourite Miz Cracker. Lombardo’s story, written in rhyming couplets, is a tribute to Dr Seuss and the seasonal classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It sees Miz Cracker playing Cindy Lou Who, no longer a cute toddler, but all grown up and living on the outskirts of Whoville in a candy-pink mobile home. It turns out Cindy Lou grew up to marry the Grinch, but when the marriage hit the rocks, a tragedy occurred that changed her life.

Lombardo’s comedy sequel may not be kiddy-friendly, but it’s supported by an overwhelming message of love, acceptance and reconciliation. Cindy Lou has suffered for daring to be different and while pills, booze and a bong help her to forget the past, she is resolute about making the future a brighter place. The witty and warm Miz Cracker first performed this show Off-Broadway and this transfer, directed by Kirk Jameson, could easily become a Christmas classic. 

The team who gave us the outrageous Snow White and the Seven Signs of Ageing at the Battersea Barge have reconvened in Clapham. This year, The Wizard of Poz – Defying Bigotry (Two Brewers, December 7-22, ★★★) drastically reinvents the MGM movie classic with a strong message to promote sexual health, while debunking the myths surrounding HIV in the 21st century. Author Paulus – The Cabaret Geek adapts with an affectionate eye and his usual twisted wit. CJ Hopkins plays Kevin, a friend of Dorothy’s who is transported by cyclone from 1980s Ashby-de-la-Zouch to present-day London. Here he meets an hirsute Grrrlinda the Good Witch of North Finchley (Jamie Anderson), who helps him battle the Wicked Witch of West Acton, played by Catherine Hutchinson. 

The glue holding the show together is Anderson, who also directs, and gently dominates the room as much an emcee as a performer. Hutchinson deserves a special mention for stepping into the role at the last minute (replacing Paulus, who was off sick). The venue has awkward sight lines, and the show is under-rehearsed, but its message still lands with its enthusiastic audience. 

Meanwhile, Charles Court Opera has moved to the Park Theatre for Rumpelstiltskin (Park Theatre, December 13-January 14, ★★★★). Author and director John Savournin has regularly pushed the boundaries of pantomime stories, with previous work including Billy the Kid and last year’s award-winning Beowulf. Rumpelstiltskin, the mischievous goblin who grants wishes, has elements of mainstream musical theatre. David Eaton’s score displays hints of Sondheim, and Savournin’s book gradually begins to incorporate characters from other fairytales, rather like Into the Woods.

Like many good pantomimes, this is a quest story, in which Philip Lee’s titular goblin is cancelled by Emily Cairns’ enigmatic Dreamcatcher and has to reinvent himself, discovering the the power of friendship along the way. Standout performances include Tamoy Phipps channelling Beyoncé for What Does the Cow Say? and Lucy Whitney as Larry, the understandably harassed Downing Street cat. Savournin’s story is reassuringly warm and wacky, and Eaton’s music is surprisingly contemporary, considering the company’s operatic provenance. In a winter of discontent, there is nothing more satisfying than the familiarity of panto – especially when it delivers a healthy dose of satire.

Ghosted! Another Fucking Christmas Carol
Venue: Other Palace, London
Dates: December 1-24, PN December 2
Authors: Jon Bradfield, Martin Hooper
Director: Andrew Beckett
Orchestrations: Aaron Clingham
Design: David Shields (set/costume), Oli Matthews (lighting), Joel Mulley (sound)
Technical: Lucas Livesey (stage manager)
Cast: Natalie Boakye, Christopher Lane, Liam McHugh, Nikki Biddington
Producer: The Other Palace
Running time: 1hr 30mins

Sing-derella
Venue: Omnibus, London
Dates: December 1-17, PN December 10
Authors: Tom Ryalls, Tim Kelly
Director: Scott Le Crass
Cast: Yasmin Dawes
Producer: Bap!
Running time: 1hr 

Who’s Holiday
Venue: Southwark Playhouse, London
Dates: December 7-January 7, PN December 9
Author: Matthew Lombardo
Director: Kirk Jameson
Design: Justin Williams (set), Kieron Johnson (lighting), Mwen (sound)
Technical: Ned Lay (production manager), Daisy Francis-Bryden (stage manager)
Cast: Miz Cracker
Producers: Tuckshop, Jack Maple Productions
Running time: 1hr 10mins

The Wizard of Poz – Defying Bigotry
Venue: Two Brewers, London
Dates: December 7 – 22, PN December 15
Author: Paulus – The Cabaret Geek
Director: Jamie Anderson
Musical director: Annemarie Lewis Thomas
Choreographer: Belle De Beauvoir
Design: Belle De Beauvoir (costume), Nathan Evans (lighting/sound)
Technical: Sean Mooney (company manager), Nathan Evans (technician)
Cast: Paulus – The Cabaret Geek, Jamie Anderson, Catherine Hutchinson, CJ Hopkins, Paula Brett, Emma Maywood, Annemarie Lewis Thomas, Nathan Evans
Producer: Paulus – The Cabaret Geek
Running time: 2hrs

Rumpelstiltskin
Venue: Park, London
Dates: December 13-January 14, PN December 16
Authors: John Savournin (book), David Eaton (music & lyrics)
Director: John Savournin
Musical director: David Eaton
Design: Alex Berry (set/costume), Jo Palmer (lighting), David Eaton (sound)
Technical: John Page (production manager), Octavia Penes (stage manager)
Cast: Emily Cairns, Philip Lee, Tamoy Phipps, Lucy Whitney
Producers: Charles Court Opera and Music Theatre, Park Theatre 
Running time: 1hr 30mins

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