A Small Mind At The Theatre

The Northampton Royal and Derngate have a tradition of producing a family play in the Royal Theatre alongside a spectacular pantomime in the Derngate, offering a more subtle Christmas treat for a family audience. However, this calendar staple has been missing since 2019, when the fine Pippi Longstocking graced the Royal stage and an unmentionable virus reared its head. Based on this triumphant return this year in the guise of The Jolly Christmas Postman , it has been heartily missed. Adam Peck has truly lovingly adapted  The Jolly Christmas Postman  for the stage from the original story by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. From the beginning, this is a proper cracker of theatre entertainment that captivates an occasionally distractable audience of all ages. The story follows the adventures of a friendly postman beset by an influx of mail on Christmas Eve and his adventures with an assortment of Fairy-Tale characters. What is, in essence, a kid's show aimed primarily at young children ...

Over the last few years, the annual Royal & Derngate pantomime has been produced by Evolution Productions and from the pen of Paul Hendy. It is safe to say they have been crackers, bringing everything you expect and more from traditional pantomime. This year, they are all back, this time with their take on the very traditional story of Cinderella . So, does the magic dust fall once again successfully on the stage of the Derngate? The answer is yes, as Evolution and Hendy prove they have found the magic formula to create another successful pantomime for Derngate. There are moments this year, though, where it is too clever for its own good, with some exceptionally good jokes lost to the panto audience (yes, I got the Hacker joke, but the tumbleweed reaction suggested it didn't hit the audience present). Cast-wise, it is a solid and assured collection of performers who don't always hit the mark. Joanne Clifton, as the Fairy, is a perfect fit for panto with her infectious smile...

As if by magic, the pantomime season is once again upon us, and first out of the Christmas hamper of "He's Behind You" antics is The New Adventures of Peter Pan , now playing at The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough. So, do the pantomime gods shine down on this new show, or is it about to get panned? Let us find out. Brought to the stage by producer and director Martin Cleverley, The New Adventures of Peter Pan provides little new to the age-old tale of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan but ploughs through much of the expected pantomime staples. So, expect to see a dame, in the guise of Mrs Smee, those as mentioned earlier "He's Behind You" antics, a nice sing-along, and some awkward or successful audience participation, depending on the show you see. Oh, and of course, The Twelve Days of Christmas and a jolly party at the end, as always. When you have seen one pantomime, you have seen the format forever. However, The New Adventures of Peter Pan is nicely enter...