Dick Whittington at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

by Dave Massey twitter.com/brumhour

A fantastic show! – Dick Whittington at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

I’ve been looking forward to seeing Dick Whittington at the Belgrade Theatre for months. I’m a real fan of the British tradition of panto, which for many children is their first introduction to live theatre. Theatre is about entertaining, and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre delivers a full-on fun experience!

The Company of Dick Whittington – Credit Robert Day.jpg

These days panto seems to about seeing your favourite tv star as Widow Twanky, Snow White, or giant killing Jack, but the Belgrade Theatre has taken the decision for a more traditional family night out. Written by children’s tv presenter and director Iain Lauchlan, this is a show jam packed with story and characters.

Iain takes audience participation to a new level. Panto goers are encouraged to nominate, in secret, someone to take part in the show.   This is such a great idea, as it gets the audience on their toes, and give them the chance to be involved.

Matthew Brock as Scratch, Melone M’Kenzy as Queen Rat and Eden Dominque as Sniff – Credit Robert Day

Joining Iain is Craig Hollingsworth as Idle Jack, who has been a panto regular at Belgrade for several years. The pair have a great onstage partnership, which is evident when things appear to “go wrong”.

I don’t remember having seen Dick Whittington for years, and there’s a lot of story to pack in. Dick leaves his home town to find fame and fortune in London, and with his rat catching cat Tommy they find work, and all is going well until Dick is accused of theft. In an attempt to clear his name he joins the crew of a ship sailing for Morocco. Who knew there was soo much story?  AND that’s not even half of it.

From the moment the music begins, to the final bow, you are guests in their friendly fun theatre, and there’s several topical jokes thrown in for good measure.

This was one of the most traditional heart warming pantos I’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to see what they do in 2017!!

Iain Lauchlan as Dame Sarah the Cook and Craig Hollingsworth as Idle Jack by Robert Day

Dick Whittington runs in Belgrade Coventry until 7th January 2017. Book your tickets here: http://www.belgrade.co.uk/event/dick-whittington-2016-17

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I was invited to see Dick Whittington at Belgrade by the theatre and this is not a sponsored post. These are my own views.