Paul Geater
WOK ‘N’ ROLL PANTO IS FULL OF FLAVOUR
New Wolsey audiences have got used to the rock and roll panto being part of the Christmas season - and this year's production can leave no one feeling let down.
It is a joyous feast of entertainment from the first minute to the last. Every aspect is a real delight.
As with other rock and roll pantos at the New Wolsey, all the actors also play instruments, sing and dance. You have to be multi-talented to get the gig in Ipswich over Christmas!
Alex Tomkins and Sarah Mahony make a wonderful leading couple, and Julian Harries steals every scene he appears in as Widow Twankey - imagine Bruce Forsyth in Tess Daly's entire wardrobe!
He manages to build up one of the corniest and most contrived jokes you will ever hear. If you don't groan out loud, then you've got no heart at all!
This really is a corn-fest, but it's just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit. This year's panto has a wide span of music - from a running joke about Abba through to Iron Maiden - but most of the songs will be very familiar to everyone from grandparents to their grandchildren.
Johnson Willis fulfils his usual role as panto villain - he seems to get more creepy with every production and Gregory Clarke is a great Wishee Washee.
A special mention has to go to Francesca Loren, as Nanas the Monkey, and New Wolsey regular Shirley Darroch as the Green Genie.
The whole show is a delight – and what was striking last night was the number of adults having a great time even without children. The rock and roll panto is entertainment for all ages.