You know you’re in panto land when it suddenly seems the most natural thing in the world for a man dressed as a pagoda to ask if anyone has seen the dancing rabbits. And lo, three giant bunnies appear and bound across the stage for no discernible reason, except that this is Nottingham Playhouse, where dancing rabbits have become an indispensable part of the formula.
Writer-director Kenneth Alan Taylor has been tinkering with this formula for 33 years, so it’s no surprise that he has it bubbling to perfection. These days he’s ceded the dame’s wig to John Elkington, who is developing into one of Britain’s finest young Twankeys (he doesn’t look a day over 50, but is pretty handy with a banjo-ukulele for George Formby’s Chinese Laundry Blues). Even though he’s no longer the star turn, Taylor still knows how to make a production sparkle – according to the figures supplied in the programme, Tim Meacock’s eye-popping sets are encrusted with 19.5 kilos of glitter and 46,000 sequins, which may be a conservative estimate.
Taylor realises that the key to making pantomime relevant is to strike a careful balance between old and new; it’s notable that even the keystone cops of old Peking now wear high-visibility jackets. But the highlight is a medley of vintage Broadway show tunes performed atop a full-scale replica of the Orient Express. Taylor’s pantomimes tend to hit their sweet spot when trading in shameless nostalgia, but for the time being it continues to be full steam ahead.
• At Nottingham Playhouse until 21 January. Box office: 0115-941 9419.
