Although there is a good connection between the audience and the stage, the success of the show relies as much on nostalgia for old fashioned fun as the acts themselves.
The only problem is that just here and there, the tone seems so ironic, so smutty, and so self-consciously showbiz that it cancels out any sense of magical Christmas storytelling. The audience seems happy enough; yet there’s a sense of panto eating away at its own fairytale substance for the sake of a quick, sleazy laugh – and that, at this most wonderful time of the year, seems a shame.
Barrowman and The Krankies to reunite for panto
Interview: panto director Jonathan Kiley on working with John Barrowman and the Krankies
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