Pantomime Reviews part 2

Cinderella - Wolverhampton 2009-2010

Review by Ben Bentley

Who’d have thought it –

the Krankies are massively popular again.

Back for an all-star panto run of Cinderella

at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre and playing

Baron Hardup and Buttons, the comedy double

act’s resurrection is nothing short of a

fairytale.

Then again, their childish messing about and

adolescent jokes are simply the perfect

ingredients for pantomime, and this production

of the Christmas favourite is truly magical, hitting the perfect balance between tickling the kids’ funny bones while at the same time playing to the adults – kind of like the Simpsons, only with Ian Krankie as Homer and Jimmy Krankie as Bart.

We all know the Cinderella story – it’s how we get to what we know

that sets a panto apart. And this version of the family classic does

it with some style. Fabulous outfits, spellbinding sets and magic

befitting of the wand of any fairy godmother who dishes out wishes

makes them come true.

Neighbours star Stefan Dennis plays the ghastly Dandini who tries

to scupper the prince’s plans to wed Cinders, while X Factor star

Niki Evans shows her true talent as the Fairy Godmother. Add into

the mix fun, frolics, a flying horse and, fresh from his TV

commercial, Churchill the dog, and we have a Christmas panto with

bells on.

But really it’s the Krankies who make this a family show to behold. At one point, wee Jimmy Krankie tries to gatecrash the ball by dressing up as Britain’s Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle, complete with hairy eyebrows, and the result is truly hilarious. We even get to see Sue-Bo naked.

As they say in Krankyland: this panto is fandabidozi- oh yes it is!

Review by Catherine Dalton

Explosions, a flying horse, a fairy godmother with a thick Brummie twang and The Krankies in fine form – panto season in Wolverhampton is well and truly underway.

Thousands of visitors both young and old will flock to the city’s Grand Theatre over the next month-and-a-half to check out this year’s offering of Cinderella.

Billed as ‘the greatest panto of them all’, Cinderella has everything you could want, or indeed expect, from a pantomime, from the dastardly evil villain, the dashing prince, the sugary-sweet leading lady and plenty of slapstick comedy.

This was provided mainly by The Krankies, whose energetic, high-spirited and charming performance made them a big hit with last night’s audience. It was Janette Krankie’s uncanny portrayal of Britain’s Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle that sparked the biggest laugh of the night.

Recreating SuBo’s now infamous first audition, she donned a wig, thick black eyebrows and her best singing voice to take off her fellow Scot with ease. Neighbours villain Stefan Dennis, best known for his role as Paul Robinson, fitted the role of Dandini well, played with a Gollum-esque feel.

His scheming was matched only by that of the ugly sisters,

aka Trinny and Susannah, played by Ben Stock and Nathan Kiley.

The beautiful Danielle York, playing Cinderella was just as

you would expect the pantomime princess to be – enchanting,

gentle and sickly sweet. She was well-matched with her

Prince Charming, the impossibly tall Nic Greenshields.

Former X Factor semi-finalist Niki Evans played the Fairy

Godmother. Her vocals were impressive throughout.

The backdrops were well thought-out and seamlessly engineered.

But it was a flying horse and carriage, whisking Cinderella to the

ball at the end of the first half, that was most impressive.

This year’s panto is everything it should be – heckles and insults