Here is a pantomime with a distinctively London swagger – it is set on the colourful streets of ‘Dagbad’, but the accents, the jokes and the lingo are all stamped with a certain cockney insouciance that delighted the crowds of whooping schoolchildren who were in the audience at our visit.
It ticks all the pantomime boxes: evil uncle, dozy but lovable leading boy and his entertaining sidekick (played with great zest by Ashley J); beautiful (but streetwise) princess and a Dame Edna-style pantomime dame, Widow Twankey, wittily played by Marcus Powell. In fact, Twankey’s gowns would give Lady Gaga a run for her money – the dress covered with brightly coloured washing-up gloves is particularly memorable.
Packed with songs and plenty of audience interaction, and boasting a set as bright and sparkly as a box of Quality Streets, there’s more than enough here to keep most children happy. The only rum note was the sound level – at times earsplittingly loud – the show is good enough without having to pump up the volume to hold our attention.