Monday 29^th December at 2pm

You know that quiet-ish time between Christmas and New Year when no one knows what day it is or what you are even called? When you want to languish on the sofa and eat all the chocolates. When you catch up on the specials or start a new series, but you’re only half awake?

You do? Then do yourself a favour and get up and off that sofa and book a seat for the Shoreham Panto. It’s guaranteed to wake up every sense and get you set for those new year’s resolutions, while burning off the festive calories, all in the space of two hours.

The story of Dick Whittington is a tale as old as time. An adventurer seeking his fortune amid the bright – um – set of London, where the streets are paved with gold. He journeys by sea, via Cornwall, to become the Lord Mayor of London, with his trusty cat Mys…something or other (the name is picked by the audience each show.) Along the way, he meets Alice Fitzalan, Sarah the Cook, sweet Winnie and crisp-munching Callum from the audience, game David from the front row and a host of other characters, including King Rat.

While EVERYONE is having a good time on the stage and off it, King Rat, the villain (James Austin Harvey), is honestly living his best life. He raps, he dances, he turns into King Rocker for an electric Nirvana number, he even goes “northern” for a while. Absolutely smashes it! (Just don’t give him an ice-cream.)

The gorgeous CAT (Sarah Booker) gives it her all with songs, struts and furballs and the longest burp I’ve ever seen in light entertainment, keeping it all together and enjoying the water pistol a bit too much.

Sarah the Cook – aka the BRILLIANT Daniel Beales – is a pleasing visual gag in himself. The gurning, the twinkly eyes, the bosom-adjusting, the slapstick delivery – he is everything you want in a dame and creased the audience up too many times to mention, particularly when he was somewhere he shouldn’t be onstage.

Oi-Oi Dick as he will forever now be known but in real life is Oliver Kensit, was the strongest male lead I’ve seen at Shoreham – great singing voice, expressive, natural, funny and clearly enjoying himself. I agree with Alice and CAT in that he’s a definite keeper.

And dear Alice – beautiful leading lady Ariane Murchie – lit up the stage with a smile so dazzling and a voice so clear, you just want her to have a really happy ending! BRAVA!

Enabling the dazzling performances are a stupendous script, solid directing, focused and graceful dancers that NEVER went out of time, K-Pop, Tay-Tay, Dua Lipa, Beyoncé (not the real one, silly Billies), chimpanzees, rats, bubbles, Hawaiian shirts and even Donald Trump (also not the real one.) After a rollicking song at the end, I left feeling energised and happy – revived!. This year’s Panto is next level, and I loved every minute.

What they said:

Tomas, 9, from Hove: “It was so bright and sparkly. I loved it.”

James, Tomas’s father, also from Hove: “Non-stop laughs and more innuendoes than you can shake a stick at.” (I see what you nearly did there, James.)

Jean and Judy from Shoreham Beach, “ a double act” in their own words, declared it “Everything you want in a panto – just brilliant.”

Evie, 11, a keen dancer, from Hove: “ The dancers were amazing – the choreography was much more involved this year.”