On the Road Again!

When we got back from the panto yesterday, at abut 6pm,  I turned on the laptop.  Logged into the Marlowe Theatre Peter Pan booking page for the 23rd December 2026. We like the 2.30pm performance so we can use the park and ride - see earlier blog. WHAT!!! I like the circle. There is less chance of being singled out for "audience participation". This year a guy called Matthew was picked and ended up on stage in one stage routine!  Not for me. Sadly, there were no seats together that wouldn't leave one unused seat! So I couldn't book in the circle. We are now in the upper circle where there were also few double seats left! But we are in the front row. So no one standing up in front of us!

This year's pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is Snow White and the Seven  Dwarves. As has become our tradition we are going on my birthday. I try and book for the matinee performance where I can. This means we can use the park and ride for parking and get the bus to and from the park to the city centre.

 My annual birthday outing to the panto at the Marlowe in Canterbury.  Another superb performance.

This year's pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury was Aladdin. Apart from COVID years we have been every year since 2013. There are only a few pantomimes that can be performed, and so we probably seen a version of Aladdin before. Each year the format has to fit the story but within that there are many things they can do with the script. Of course Ben Roddy was back to play the Dame. If you want to know about panto, Google it. As usual the music was managed by Chris Wong, the musical director for 29 years. Again there were the usual gags, plus many new ones, some for kids and many only the adults would understand. Next year it will be Beauty and the Beast! So we get good seats I have booked for my birthday again! I was amazed how many seats were left for the matinee performance - 8. The theatre seats 1200!! Luckily there were two in the circle with an aisle seat!

The 2022 pantomime is Sleeping Beauty. Tickets have been on sale recently and I bought ours yesterday.  Same seats at this year but not on my birthday this time. https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/sleeping-beauty-3/

Masks? Under the Government's Plan B theatres in England aren't closed but audiences should wear masks.  Given that a panto audience is around 60/40 adults to kids it means a massive percentage are unmasked and potentially spreaders. We kept ours on all the time except when munching a chocolate lebkuchen in the interval. Due to Covid two main performers were missing and replaced by two actors from a cancelled panto in St Albans. They only had a few hours to learn the parts and appeared with scripts on clipboards from time to time. This added to the laughs. The story roughly follows the story of Jack and the Beanstalk that me know. At the end, the leading actor playing Jack doesn't marry the girl, but professes his love for his sidekick Johnny. No one batted an eyelid.  Again it was a superb performance. Let's hope the science that Omicron is less dangerous than Delta and previous variants is proved right. At the end Duncan James (Jack and from boy band Blue)...

"Oh no it isn't" Jack and the Beanstalk. The story showing how even the thickest most gullible boy can win the girl and be a success. Until reality TV it was just a fairy story...

Cancelled last year so tickets rolled over to this year.  I didn't bother cancelling and getting a refund as I was hoping that this year that covid would have been defeated.  Of course it hasn't and we have a new panic with the Omicron Variant. This year it is "Jack and the Beanstalk" - the tale of an everyday thicko that becomes a hero. So we have to hope that after being vaccinated three times and back under the Government's Plan B that sitting in a room with air blowing through and wearing our coats and hats and of course, masks, that it will still go ahead. Thursday is my birthday as well. So I am hoping to have a good day out at the matinee and maybe some non Slimming World approved food!

Ben Roddy - Number One Dame! It has to be the Marlowe Theatre Canterbury Pantomime! A little later than usual I have bought our tickets.  When I looked earlier in the year they hadn't released the Circle tickets. I have booked for the matinee performance on Wednesday 23rd December. "OH NO YOU HAVEN'T" "OH YES I HAVE!!!" https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/jack-and-the-beanstalk/

Last night Claire and I went to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for our annual visit for the pantomime. This year it was Mother Goose.  Mother Goose As usual the "Dame" was Ben Roddy - "The Fat Bloke in a Dress". The production is always excellent. There can't be many pantos that have a range of music that involves a version of Hendrix's Foxy Lady.  Once again it was superb. Oh no it wasn't!  Oh yes it was! The Cast

This year's panto at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is Mother Goose. We usually buy tickets as soon as we can to ensure we get our favourite seat but this year.... Oops.  On a shopping visit recently we dropped in a bought them.  Panto Website Photography by Pamela Raith

Yesterday was panto time at The Marlowe in Canterbury. As it was my birthday Claire emailed so that when they did the birthdays I got a mention too. Luckily not my age. 62. So this year it was Peter Pan. Superbly done as usual. Great scipt as usual. And music a perfect match. The two "soap" stars this year Wendi Peters and Shawn Williamson were good and could both sing. Essential as pantos are musicals. Next year. Cinderella.

Panto. I don't know if other countries have pantomime as part of their theatrical tradition but here in Great Britain it is a major part of the Christmas season. Many towns and cities will have their own; from local amateur dramatic productions to big all star cast productions. A recent trend has been to attract "big names" from the world of TV to star in the productions and bring in the audiences. The soap opera world in particular. This year at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury the cast was headed by Stephen Mulhern, who we know as a game show host. In Ben Roddy we have a superb dame. If you don't know what a panto dame is, Google it. Don't bother.... Here's the wiki definition - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantomime_dame This year the panto was Dick Whittington. The tale of the young man coming to London to seek his fame and fortune. This Dick achieved his fame and won the girl of his...

Finale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. Another excellent production again.