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IF you went all round the pantos in the North-east and measured
the noise levels, I can tell you now, the Attic Panto at the
Arts Centre would send the needle shooting off the scale.
Some
of the audience participation at last night's first performance of
the Attic Panto was downright scary. One of these days the
audience will storm the stage, and there will be tears before
bedtime.
Right
from the opening minutes of Beauty and the Beast, the cast had the
audience cranked up to fever pitch and screaming blue murder!
This
is how it is supposed to work. The kids should come home dazed
and exhausted after a good panto and they should talk about it for
days.
Beauty and the Beast will definitely not let them down. It
contains all the right boisterous ingredients for a sure-fire hit -
and maintains the high standards set by previous years.
Once
again Frank Campbell is the man at the production helm and he has
confidently steered this show into sunny climes. Assisted by
an excellent cast, the production bolts along from one hilarious
scene to the next.
Dave
Fearns has hung up his frock this year and turns out to be a right
nasty bit of work as Baron Tester von Soda Iwho can they mean?),
Stuart Youngson slips comfortably into the dame's costume this year
and turns in a performance to be proud of.
Meanwhile, a panto can't go wrong with Alan Duncan, Debbie Boyd,
Tearlach Duncanson and Laura Pike in the cast.
With
great music from Jenny Dalglish and her band and lashing of audience
participation, Beauty and the Beast is a riot of slap-stick,
silliness and songs.
Roddy Philips
Friday 5 December 1992
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