theatreSCOTLAND

8 December 2009 The Guardian

Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates

A King's Theatre, Edinburgh review

FOR many years, the King's fielded an invincible panto double act in the shape of Allan Stewart, the consummate everywoman dame, and Andy Gray, a hangdog foil with a genius for working the crowd. Gray's departure a couple of years ago (this season, he's at Glasgow's Oran Mór) left Stewart carrying the show. If anything, he was too capable of this, exerting such control that he even ended up in the cave with Aladdin, which kept the laughs coming but negated the point of the boy's coming-of-age story.

14 December 2006 The Guardian

Cinderella

King's Edinburgh review.

THE collage of clock faces projected onto the sets of Paul Elliott's pantomime refer, of course, to the moment at midnight when the upwardly mobile Cinders is turned back into a servant. It also refers to the 100 years that have passed since the King's theatre staged Cinderella as its inaugural production.

Allan Stewart as Sharon Osborne and Andy Gray as Ozzy Osborne in Mother Goose, King's Edinburgh

11 December 2005 The Sunday Times

Mother Goose

King's Edinburgh review.

A BEAR a panda, a fox and an all-singing, all-dancing cast fill the stage as sweets are catapulted into the upper circle on tennis rackets. Meanwhile the Crazy Frog is shot dead, Allan Stewart spins round on a motorised wheelchair flashing his matronly Mother Goose legs and Andy Gray (aka Hamish McFly) puts a local spin on this year’s Peter Kay/Tony Christie hit with Is This the Way to Portobello. And that’s just the first five minutes of this pacey Mother Goose.

7 Dece,ber 2004 The Guardian

Aladdin

King's Edinburgh review.

IT is always the slushy parts of a pantomime that let the side down. With an audience geared up for hissing and booing, the baddie gets an easy ride and, with the Dame and her sidekick being the real stars, the comedy is usually the highlight. This leaves the scenes of innocent young love and communal dancing rather exposed.

theatreSCOTLAND © Mark Fisher 2009