GIG were busy this month with 2 events in the same week!
On January 6th we had our Annual Dinner for members, held at the Metal Bridge. As we have come to expect from the MB, the food and service were both extremely good. A glass of wine with the meal and mince pies with tea/coffee, were an added bonus. A very sociable evening in congenial surroundings was enjoyed by all.
We set off the next day for our trip to the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, to see the pantomime Dick Whittington. Our arrival gave us time to have a wander around the shops and have some lunch before making our way to the theatre.
The Theatre Royal in Newcastle is one of the most historic theares in the UK. It was built in 1837 and reconstructed in 1901 after a fire, and is a Grade 1 listed building.
 |
Photos courtesy of Lynne Hampson
|
Father and son team Danny Adams (Dick Whittington) and Clive Webb (Councillor Fitzfenwick) star this year in their 11th pantomime at the theatre.
Chris Hayward
plays a fantastic Dame Rita Fitzfenwick in amazing costumes of his own
creation,
Charlie Hardwick,
who played Val Pollard in Emmerdale, makes a return to her hometown theatre to
play The Spirit of the Tyne,
Steve Arnott plays the villainous King Rat,
Alice Stokoe stars as Alice Fitzfenwick,
Peter Peverley
portrays Little Bobby the Cat,
Phil Seaman plays Captain Birdseye and the Sultan,
and Michael Potts portrays
The Idiot.
We sat in the theatre watching the seats filling up with eager, excited children and adults. The atmosphere and noise built as performance time drew near...
Then suddenly the
lights went down …….
The panto tells
the story of Dick Whittington travelling to Newcastle to seek fame and fortune
while battling the villainous King Rat and ridding the city of his army of vermin.
The panto was
brilliant and as the Hartlepool Mail
said in their review:
"There was a wonderful blend of high-octane energy, acrobatics, slapstick comedy, and a love story. it was all pulled together with remarkable audience participation that saw audience members getting wet, custard pied, dressed as Tellytubbies and even taking part in an edge-of-your-seat knife-juggling stunt.
One of the real stand-outs this year was the special effects, including a 15ft-high rat and a massive shark roaring out into the auditorium and even swallowing Dick Whittington at one point. The 3D effects were truly remarkable and added a new high-tech visionary experience to the show that will be talked about by everyone and will rival any cinematic delight.
After the interval the audience is recommended to pick up a pair of 3D glasses, which were free as long as you returned them afterwards, for a special part of the show that was a real standout. It used state of the art technology and saw the audience jumping in their seats to dodge bombs and monsters that appeared right in front of your eyes.
There was bagfulls of singing and dancing and a trampolining scene that had perfect comedy and choreographical timing."
A great review for a great pantomime!
Pantos are all about tradition and audience participation in a loud and colourful way. The audience today was engrossed from the minute the panto started! The speed and content of the performance kept us enthralled in the story from beginning to end, laughing and joining in all the way through. The bangs and flashes, scary moments, panto innuendo and very old jokes were all that we expected and the glitz and glamour along with sensational musical numbers and fabulous sets and costumes made a brilliant show that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Keith Torrington |
Can't wait for next year when the panto will be Cinderella!
