Panto Season

Took Frodo to see his first ever pantomime today. A matinee performance of Aladdin at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.

He tends to shy away and hide from clowns and other children's entertainers, so we weren't too sure how much he'd enjoy the full 2 hours of a panto. This year we thought that he might be ready for it.

He was a little overawed as we entered the theatre, and took our seats, looking around at the sets and the stage lighting, and getting a little worried as the place filled up.

At the Everyman you're close to the stage, no matter where you sit. We were 2 rows back on the "benches" on the left hand side, so we were fairly well amongst it when the action started (Never sit on the front row for the panto, unless your prepared to become part of the act). Straight into the first song (it's a Rock 'n Roll panto) which started out with 3 drummers bashing out a rhythm. This got Frodo's attention straight away, although he was still a little wary of what was going on.

He really perked up a couple of songs in, when the pantomime Dame appeared to do some "gardening". 2 plants came up from trapdoors in the floor, and then squirted the audience with water. The dame then ran round spraying everybody with an array of ever increasing in size water emitting devices (plant spray, small hose and supersoakers). Frodo thoroughly enjoyed getting wet. A lady who may have thought she was relatively safe about 4 or 5 rows back was right in the path of one of the plants and got drenched as the song ran it's course.

After that Frodo clapped along with the songs and joined in the fun, booing and hissing at Evil Uncle Abanazer, and laughing at all of the "fart" jokes.

Some poor guy in the front row called Tony got "picked on" by the cast, and was the butt of a number of jokes, culminating with getting him up for the "audience participation bit", since he hadn't done it well enough the first time.

During one of the songs I got to sing a word into the Dames microphone, as I was sat on the end next to the aisle - everybody should be famous for 3 seconds, so I guess that was my moment.

As always, as well as the theatrics the cast provided the musical backing, as well as the theatrics. They all swap instruments, or take turns whilst another is singing - which really makes for a great show.

Frodo got to see several trapdoor disappearances and reappearances, smoke effects, coloured lighting, glitter ball lighting and flash bombs.

Two small motor-scooters were used on stage at one point - Aladdin let his fall over (not part of the act) and almost crashed it into Princess Willow's scooter when riding it around afterwards. The lights went down and the scooters appeared again as small flourescent models flying above the stage under Ultra Violet lights.

Another scene had the cast disappear into a set of Tardis doors, and reappear on the other side of the stage in 1975. Frodo particularly enjoyed the genie of the lamp, who sported a pink afro wig and riffed on an electric guitar when he appeared.

Previous panto experience proved useful as Aladdin was left trapped in the cave of wonders and the lights came up for the interval. Novelist Supermum was despatched to purchase 3 ice-creams, whilst I legged it with Frodo to the toilet. We beat the queue for both and were quickly back in our seats munching the ice-creams waiting for the second act.

Everybody was on their feet for the finale, although Frodo was flagging a little by this point. He looked a little tearful at the end, but only because it was all over. He seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed it, so we'll take him again next year.

Samwise is just a little too young for a panto at the moment, so he stayed at home with Grandma - although we reckon that he'll be ready for it next year.

We've been for the last few years without children, so no beers in the Everyman Bistro afterwards this time.

Really glad that Frodo enjoyed it - he was telling me about the genie of the lamp when he went to bed.