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Celebrity Love Panto Island
Verdict: Panto celebs, no cameras
London - Canal Café - 19 Dec 05 to 7 Jan 06
What happens when a group of celebrities are marooned on a desert island, and there aren't any cameras to show their hilarious antics? If you miss them – and who wouldn't? – Celebrity Love Panto Island offers a Hello-style fix.
Written by Tom Webb and Ross Mc Givern, the panto-with-a-twist is a fun way to spend an hour, with impressions ably provided by the cast - ranging from Gemma Whelan's all-too-accurate Jade Goody, to Ian Lilley as overly-tanned men including Dale Winton and Peter Andre.
Eve Webster has just the right comic timing and random non-sequiturs for the inanely stupid Carol Vorderman – dressed as a fairy, because, it transpires, Countdown not only owns all her brain cells, but all her clothes as well.
Uri Geller, celebrity pal extraordinaire, appears to be about as much use as a bent spoon - which is just how Ollie Simpson intends to play him.
Taking on many roles is Tom Webb, who is not only Simon Cowell, Rolf Harris and Joe Pasquale, but also Panto Islander Ohyez Thairiz. Go on, say it out loud. You know you want to. Ohyez you do. And yes, there’s also an Islander called – guessing the spelling – Beehine Dew.
A lot of this is pretty standard humour. It’s not really saying anything new to camp up Winton and Cowell, or to have Abi Titmuss flashing her cleavage - and the general confusion surrounding the Panto Islanders' names is flagged up from a read of the programme.
But to be fair, that doesn't make it any less fun. And the image of the plane crash having successfully got rid of Darren Day and a full set of Bedingfields ... throw in an Atomic Kitten or two and it's enough to make anyone's Christmas.
There are some entertaining voiceovers, and the odd song. Yellow Brick Road sets the panto feel nicely. The Bohemian Rhapsody spoof's a bit less certain, till it's saved by some great lines like 'Parkinson has a sofa put aside for me'.
Auld Lang Syne is equally out of place, which is a pity, as the show has a number of similarities to the venue's long-running NewsRevue - and some of the cast have been in both shows. However in Celebrity Love Panto Island, the songs don't seem to fit so well, and with only three, Musical Director Tom De Keyser is seriously under-used.
The odd scene feels as if it is giving someone time for a costume change. And for a panto billed for all the family, the horse is extremely well-hung. Some may say having Frank Bruno in the back-end makes this appropriate, but the producers promise it's only Velcro-ed on - and will be removed if there are children in.
There isn't a lot that could cause awkward questions or offend a concerned parent - although horse's front-end Jonathan Woss doesn't pronounce the F in Frank, and it comes out like something else entirely. The show is up to date, with a Space Cadets reference, a very good Johnny Vaughan impression, and usually (but not today) Jamie Oliver.
Apparently all the characters need to do in order to see the audience is to believe. Today's a Wednesday afternoon before Christmas, and there's a surprisingly impressive turnout to believe in. Not quite enough to respond to the characters' attempt at interaction, however. It may have been useful in more than one performance to have Ross Mc Givern at the sound/lighting desk as technical director.
The ending isn't the world's biggest surprise. There's a revelation. And the Panto Islanders decide their fate. If only it were true - we could get off our sofas, and have our celeb-gossip-and-reality-TV-filled lives back.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Ian Lilley - Dale Winton. Ollie Simpson - Uri Geller. Tom Webb - Ohyez Thairiz. Eve Webster - Carol Vorderman. Gemma Whelan - Widow Twanky.
Company Credits: Writers - Tom Webb & Ross McGivern. Director - Tom Webb. Technical Director - Ross Mc Givern. Musical Director - Tom De Keyser. Presented by - MyTheatre Company & Canal Café Theatre. Thanks to: Amanda and Tim Webb, Tracy and all at The Bridge House, The Oily Cart Company.
END
(c) Gill Smith 2005
reviewed Wednesday 21 Dec 05 / Canal Café
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2009
