Claiming to be the ‘excellent Christmas story’, this ‘the very grownup pantomime’ tells the story of Carlie. A yr in the past, her dad was killed by a collision brought on by a Simply Cease Oil protest, inflicting him to crash into a petroleum station (isn’t it ironic). She’s been dumped by her boyfriend and now, to high all of it off, her pill-popping Mum (who thinks each noise is an alarm to take one other Xanax) is insistent on nonetheless throwing their annual festive occasion to attempt to show that (as we British do) everyone seems to be coping simply high-quality. However when Carlie receives a picket nutcracker within the form of a soldier, from her inappropriate, drunk uncle, christmas begins to look very completely different to what she was anticipating.
Written by Josh Coley (who performs the hilarious drug addict mom and cocaine blowing fairy godmother), The Nutcracker is an actual present of two halves and each really feel very completely different. The capsule popping mom (while not being as distinguished within the second half) appears to have nearly forgotten her dependancy and sobered up for her daughter in act 2. This character may have been higher unfold out throughout the entire present to indicate the change in character (if there was purported to be one) and have one other character enjoying the fairy godmother. Each components steal the present however with one actor enjoying each, we don’t get to see how they every progress.
Tik Toker star and Musical Theatre graduate Theo Walker performs our camp fairy with all of the glitter and sparkle you might roll him in and he appears most snug on this position. He additionally performs our title character (relating to life) and exhibits a versatility to his performing expertise and his singing actually improves in act 2.
When the nutcracker first involves life, he can solely converse damaged, yoda-like, English however he should be a really fast learner as a result of after 5 minutes he appears to have grasped the English language which implies both this picket toy could be very clever or it was an oversight within the script.
I favored the idea of the sleazy ex boyfriend being given the last word comeuppance when he doesn’t settle for that ‘no means no’ and loses his manhood to Carlie’s Christmas ‘nutcracker’. However the energy appeared to be reversed on the finish when she offers the Crown Jewels again to him with a purpose to save her one real love. Or did she kill him – I can’t make sure).
Since COVID, we’ve got all been residing in a value of residing disaster and cash is tighter than ever. And as the price of every little thing has risen, so have ticket costs to the theatre. Now you can anticipate to pay as much as round £400 for a ticket to a west finish present and off west finish productions appear to have soared as effectively.
The Nutcracker is a little bit of Christmas enjoyable, however at as much as £36.50 per ticket, this pantomime in Battersea, seems like a little bit of a kick within the nuts financially and simply didn’t have me cracking up. And as for a ‘very grownup pantomime’ in comparison with some I’ve seen previously, this was fairly PG. Bah humbug.
Reviewed by West Finish Wilma
