FROM Allan Stewart’s cross-dressed shenanigans at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh to Alan McHugh’s gloriously unconvincing drag act at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, the big stage Christmas show is synonymous with the pantomime dame, is it not? “Oh no it isn’t!”, I hear the good people of Clydeside cry in indignation.
The King’s Theatre, Glasgow may have famously hosted the great Stanley Baxter (who was arguably the finest of Scotland’s panto dames), but these days its festive revels are presided over by none other than Elaine C Smith. The Two Doors Down star has well and truly made the King’s pantomime her own once again, having returned to the show at the grand theatre on Bath Street in 2017 after a 13-year hiatus.
Disrupted by the Covid pandemic though her latest stint has been, there’s no doubt that the stage and screen actor has re-established the rapport between herself and the King’s audience. Playing Nurse Bella, stand-in mum to the excellent Blythe Jandoo’s Snow
White, Smith leads a talented cast in a typically loose retelling of the famous German fairytale.
READ MORE: Review of the year 2023: What’s happened in Scottish politics
Set in the Kingdom of Glaswegia (where else!), the story finds our heroine out for the count, having been cursed by the avaricious and evil witch (and certifiable bam) Queen Cranachan (Liz Ewing on fine, boo-hissable form). This is, needless to say, a matter of considerable concern to Bella’s daft son Muddles (the irrepressible Johnny Mac) who, when he’s not (catchphrase alert) “enjoying myself”, is pure totally best pals with Snow White, so he is.
In their quest to rescue the slumbering princess from her cursed sleep, Bella and Muddles are joined by the kilt-wearing Prince Calum of Cowcaddens (the thigh-slapping irony-monger Christopher Jordan-Marshall). In a nice twist, they are also assisted by the Man in the Mirror (the fabulous human glitterball Darren Brownlie), who has turned against his boss, Queen Cranachan.
The ensuing fun and games involves the usual song, dance and comedy routines, including the decidedly non-Disneyish contributions of “the magnificent seven”, aka the titular dwarfs (who bear a remarkable resemblance to the people of short stature that I had the pleasure of bumping into in the Variety bar after the show). There’s audience participation (of both the voluntary and involuntary kinds), too.
However, the old-school, music hall entertainment highlight of the show is, surely, the slapstick routine in which, sitting on a fence, Snow White and Prince Calum make an attempt at courtship. Three’s a crowd, as the young lovers are pestered by the ever-present Muddles, and their musical number is accompanied by numerous backflips as one character sets another flying over the fence.
Ably assisted by Mac, Smith leads the entire affair with her well-established combination of confidence, comic timing and friendly informality. As she says at the closing of the show, the secret of the success of the Glasgow King’s panto is that the good humour and energy coming from the stage comes back to the performers from the audience, enhancing the experience for everyone.
Until January 7: atgtickets.com
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here