Dick Whittington at The Regent
The boys are back in town – the gang are back at the Regent Theatre, Hanley for what will be the 20th year in panto for Jonathan Wilkes.
Expect complete mischief, mayhem, and madness as Dick Whittington comes to Stoke-on-Trent – Review by Mel Osborne
Back at the press launch in September the cast promised that this was going to be the biggest and best panto yet with all the stops pulled and that promise was kept.
From the opening scene Kai Owen (King Rat) graced the stage as the loveable baddie, and set the bar high for the rest of the show.
To add to the excitement the much missed and loved Christian Patterson was back in his rightful position as Dame.
This Welsh wonder has won the hearts of ‘Stokies’ over the years and was welcomed back on stage to big cheers and it was so clear the gang were happy to be back together.
The staging and costumes provided by London Palladium were simply stunning.
OK – there was a little bit of imagination to be used – due to a London town back drop in Stoke – but who cares about a bit of artistic licence when you are having fun.
The script was fresh and funny. A slightly jiggled structure was welcome and the jokes were sharply written maintaining a balance, which was relevant for 2024, but still had an almighty shot of lewd innuendo.
Joining the team this year was the amazing Gina Murray – a west end star in her own right – whose epic voice carried the cast as they belted through popular classics
Samaria Castalello as Alice Fitzgerald had great stage presence, beautiful vocals and energy.
The most notable performance of this show must go to Marlee Jay, a Wilkes Academy graduate, as Tommy the Cat, who is sassy and bold with incredible dance moves.
The show was a soaring success and an absolute triumph and the energy in the auditorium was electric as all the audience members roared with laughter.
All the classic setups are in this panto, so fear not if you are a traditionalist, as this includes certain jokes that get a yearly airing – but there are some amazing special effects and surprises.
Gone are digital gimmicks but back is glorious stage craft.
Considering that a panto can be a child’s first experience of theatre, this will set them up with sparkling memories to keep.
Dick Whittington was a delight from start to finish. It is magical, exciting and hilarious leaving audience members beaming from cheek to cheek.
Thank you for twenty years of panto Johnny! Here is to many years more.
5 Stars
Dick Whittington is at The Regent Theatre until Sunday 5 January 2025. Ticket information can be found by visiting The Regent Theatre website HERE
