While it may not have the big stars and budget of some other pantomimes in the area, the Harrogate Theatre show regularly offsets this with a colourful, entertaining and engaging production, this year being no exception.
The cast remains mostly the same every year, with Tim Stedman playing the buffoon, this year marking his 24th Harrogate pantomime appearance. His arrival as Philippe Fillop, dangling from the stage rafters and later emerging from a suitcase, added to the excitement in a family panto that was magical from beginning to end.
Beauty and the Beast has been enchanting readers and audiences for centuries, with everything you could wish for in a fairytale. Writer David Bown has embraced that tradition in this new production, and also added a modern twist.
Say Bonjour to Paris
As the audience is transported from Harrogate to Paris, our French hosts for the evening welcomed everyone with a rousing version of Lady Marmalade mingling into ABBA’s Voulez Vous before the jokes started coming thick and fast.
As the dame, Madame Bellie Fillop (Harry Wyatt), appears in the first of many outlandish outfits, he jokingly instructs the audience to “get an Eiffel of this.” If you think the show could not get any funnier, the answer of course is “Oh yes it does!”
Stedman commanded the stage whenever he appeared – his comic timing comes from years of experience. This year Michael Lambourne plays Baron Bon Bon in a role that contrasts with his usual one as the baddie. He fitted into the part with ease – as always, demonstrating a huge theatrical presence with a humorous touch.
The evil Mona Lisa The Sorceress (Joanne Sandi) brought a menacing quality to the evening, despite her beauty. She never overshadowed Belle (Anna Campkin) who was innocent and charming. The chemistry between Campkin and the Beast/Prince (Colin Kiyani) was natural and flowed with ease.
A monstrous pantomime
Proving that the old style routines work best, the ghost scene provided a slapstick moment that the younger members of the audience appreciated. This ended up with a version of the can-can being danced on stage as the rest of the cast ran around the audience! It could only happen in panto.
As Baron Bon Bon and Philippe Fillop drove their car (number plate ARO GATE) through the night to find Belle, the idea of using the AC/DC track Highway to Hell reinvented as Highway to Belle was pure genius.
Elsewhere Taylor Swift’s Love Story was perfectly placed as the Beast and Belle duetted in harmony.
Wisely mixing the songs in the finale with one old and one new, tracks by Benson Boone, The Four Tops and Sabrina Carpenter were aimed at both the younger members of the audience and the mums and dads.
A word of warning: don’t sit in the front row or you might become involved more in the panto than you expect!
If you happen to miss any of this action-packed pantomime, don’t worry. Stedman comically gives a three-minute high speed resume of the show at the end, even managing to slip in his best Liam Gallagher impersonation.
Another successful Harrogate pantomime that is a beauty from beginning to end, this runs until Sunday 19 January 2025.
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