Duncan Harley

Comic Christmas capers in Aberdeen wouldn’t be quite the same without the annual HMT panto and this years rags to riches take on Cinderella stars soprano Rachel Flynn as Cinders with doors opening this month for a five-week run.  Naturally, wicked step-sisters are to the fore and the cast list for 2019 includes Call the Midwife star Laura Main who delivers a sterling performance as the Fairy Godmother, River City funny man Paul-James Corrigan who shines as Buttons, Two Doors Down Joy McAvoy plus River City Sally Howitt as the Stepsisters and Prince Charming is played by Emmerdale Paul Luebke. Dancer/choreographer Louie Spence plays a delightfully camp Dandini with Alan McHugh leading the action as the outlandishly-costumed Baroness Heifer McHardup. Outwitting step-sisters involves both humour and determination and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud slap-stick moments along the way alongside a multitude of double-entendres and slick comedy routines. Lavish ...

Christmas in Aberdeen wouldn’t be quite the same without the panto and the cast of this year’s rags to riches offering – Cinderella – includes Rachel Flynn as Cinders with the doors opening on Saturday 30 November for a five-week run.  The cast list also includes Call the Midwife star Laura Main as the Fairy Godmother, River City funny man Paul-James Corrigan as Buttons, Two Doors Down’s Joy McAvoy plus River City’s Sally Howitt as the really Wicked Stepsisters and Emmerdale’s Paul Leubke as Prince Charming.   Louie Spence plays Dandini and the Granite City's  very own Alan McHugh takes to the stage as ‘The Baroness’. The show promises to reveal how Cinders manages to outwit her wicked stepsisters and with the help of her hilarious friend Buttons plus traditionally attired Fairy Godmother, win the heart of the dashing Prince Charming. As always, Cinderella will feature all of the ingredients of the perfect pantomime; a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh-out-loud...

There’s a splendidly written panto review in today’s Times in Scotland penned by the redoubtable Allan Radcliffe. Titled ' This recycled panto scrubs up most agreeably' , Allan’s take on Aladdin @ Glasgow’s King’s Theatre rang some familiar bells. ‘There is much that is familiar in this year’s beano, from the dazzling orange-and-yellow colour scheme that infuses the set and costumes to the traditional final song sheet’ he writes. ‘Indeed, several of the comic set pieces will stir a strong sense of déjà vu in anyone who has seen a panto from the Qdos entertainment stable, in recent years.’ I could not concur more. That is, if that Scrabble six letter word concur word makes any sense any more. As one who has endured a good many panto offerings - some good and some completely awful, and indeed a great many spectacularly difficult theatrical failures over the years, that pattern of hoary old asides and inuendo-laden-jokes has become de rigueur. ‘Look behind you’ is b...

The traditional folk tale of how the beautiful Snow White survived the evil queen’s murderous attention has been told in many versions over the centuries. Countries across the globe from Albania to Malaya hold versions of the tale deeply rooted in popular culture.  In an Indian take on the story, the magic mirror is portrayed as a talking parrot and an Albanian version has Snow White’s jealous sisters portrayed as a murderous duo intent on her untimely demise. The Brothers Grimm are often credited with having collected the definitive version of the story. Featuring seven unnamed dwarfs, a glass coffin and an insanely jealous stepmother they published several versions of the tale over the period 1812-1854. In 1937 the tale was subjected to Disneyfication and, despite Disney having trademarked the name “Snow White” in 2013, the films and the literature continue to follow the snowy-white road. Ever popular as a pantomime theme the likes of Dawn French, Wendi Peters ...