A panto to brighten up darkest of nights

Panto's On Strike Regent Theatre

PANTO season may be drawing to a close, but at The Regent theatre, in Hanley, they have one more show to stage.

ADULT HUMOUR: Jonathan Wilkes, left, and Paddy McGuinness in Panto's on Strike at the Regent Theatre, Hanley. Picture: Clare Jennings

And with its adult humour, this is one pantomime that is definitely not for the children.

Panto's On Strike, starring TV funnyman Paddy McGuinness and Stoke-on-Trent's homegrown hero Jonathan Wilkes, opened last night to an audience eager to be entertained.

And the comic duo did not disappoint.

Paddy and Jonny play themselves and the running joke of the night is their well-known associations as the best mates of Peter Kay and Robbie Williams.

The gags are very rude and not at all PC; very much as Peter Kay would say "a bit of blue for the dads".

But the show is hilarious and definitely spices up a dreary January night.

Do not expect a complex plot however, it is panto after all.

The show starts with Panto Land in crisis as the Evil King Foo has kidnapped Princess Crystal and all of the panto characters have gone out on strike in protest.

It's down to Jonny, with his years of panto experience, and his less than enthusiastic side-kick Paddy, to save the princess and restore order in Panto Land.

The show retains all the traditions of a traditional panto, with a host of well-known characters, comedy one-liners, innuendo and lots of audience participation.

In their efforts to rescue Princess Crystal, the comedy pair also enlist the help of Christian Patterson as the larger than life Dame Dolly Dumpling, Paul Isles as Dick Whittington and Phil Holden as Blusher, the cross-dressing dwarf.

What adds to the 'happy' vibe is that the whole cast seems to be enjoying itself too. The jokes come thick and fast and keep the audience laughing.

Paddy was particularly funny, with his ability to ad lib at times when things did not quite go according to the script.

The production had some great songs, both old and new, including The World's Most Offensive Song. Jonny also gets to show off his singing talents in his duet with Suzanne Carley, who plays Princess Crystal.

And so, if January has left you feeling blue, join Jonny and Paddy on their adventure to defeat Evil King Foo.

Panto's On Strike continues at The Regent theatre until Saturday January 21. For tickets, call the box office on 0844 8717649.

Danielle McKenzie