Goldilocks And The Three Bears At The Birmingham Hippodrome Review
TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Lindsay Burton
Spoil yourself and your family to this magical Christmas treat! Birmingham Hippodrome is currently showing their yearly pantomime and this year, as usual, Michael Harrison’s production “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” does not disappoint.
Actor, singer and much-loved personality Jason Donovan makes his pantomime debut as The Evil Ringmaster alongside previously announced Birmingham panto favourite Matt Slack. Matt Slack is his usual amazing self, including lots of laugh out loud moments and ridiculously funny songs, the evening was ignited with his charismatic character as Ringo the Ringmaster! Both these actors bring a great working relationship to the stage where the jokes and humour bounce off each other, creating an atmosphere of pure comedy and fun! Dame Betty Barnum’s (Andrew Ryan) circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner (Jason Donovan) and, with the help of the Lazy Lion Tamer (Doreen Tipton) and their madcap circus friends, they battle to rescue their Big Top from ruin.
Featuring brilliantly glitzy sets by Ian Westbrook and outrageously hilarious costumes by Mike Coltman (all direct from The London Palladium), Goldilocks and the Three Bears is be packed with riotous comedy, The Twins FX’s phenomenal special effects , breath-stopping stunts and world renowned circus acts. We got to see fantastically talented stars such as Peter Pavlov abs the Globe of Speed, The Gemini Sisters, Pierre Marchand and his awesome skills with the Diablos and Phil Hitchcock – all performed with such skill and calm, we thought we were actually at the circus!!!
The crazy accuracy that Pierre exercises was completely mind-blowing. The audience absolutely love his skills and passion which very clearly shows on the stage – he was amazing!
The Globe of Speed was my next favourite – accuracy, skill and talent were the order of the day! How we didn’t witness a huge accident last night was beyond me, it left me completely speechless!
Phil Hitchcock’s crazy illusions were out of this world! My 12 year old son and I were shocked by some the skills on show and completely amazed by the tricks with white doves.
Throw three fuzzy bears, Daddy (Ewan Goddard), Mummy (Georgia Anderson) and Baby bear (Jessica Daugirda), into the mix and we have everything a pantomime in 2021 can wish for. Special mention to Alexia McIntosh (Candy Floss) and Samantha Dorrance (Goldilocks) for their vocal performances!
Roll up, roll up to see panto join the circus, and be swept away by Birmingham Hippodrome’s must-see festive extravaganza, the panto that’s just right! This is Andrew’s 35th pantomime and his 31st year as Dame which adds such talent and experience to the entire pantomime.
Rating: This has definitely been my absolute favourite pantomime this year, I rate this show 5/5 and would recommend this for any theatre lover.
Why not make a Christmas gift of this family show for family members who enjoy having a laugh! The show runs from the 18th December 2021 until the 30th January 2022. Ticket prices start at £16 and be purchased from here https://bookings.birminghamhippodrome.com/36515/36524
Please note Covid restrictions as follows https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/plan-your-visit/covidsafety/