Whilst it remains homeless, the Above The Stag shows, currently LGBT panto Puss In Boots, go on at London's Wonderville.
Without their usual venue, the team behind the original ATS's notoriously filthy and much-loved adult panto regrouped to produce this year’s fabulously smutty Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick! now playing at Charing Cross Theatre, so Puss In Boots is brought to life by a new group of creatives.
Pen in hand are Tim McArthur and Lucy Penrose who also direct, with Penrose also taking the role of Master Baker in this mash-up of the Puss in Boots story.
In this version, the Ogre, Kevin, seeks revenge for the murder of his brother. Until the perpetrator is found, every day, one of the town’s menfolk will be turned into a chicken. However will Puss in Boots defend the citizens of Nunsnatch and its royal family, Queen Tuppence Fandango and her son, Prince Attwood, against such peril?
When Attwood falls under the Ogre’s curse, boyfriend Master Baker and Dame Fanny set out to reverse the jinx and disarm the Ogre by means of a magical cake, helped along by Puss.
They have various trials to face along the way before they confront Kevin and his slave, Bitch, including their car breaking down—bring on sexy AA Man and his toolbox—and meeting a hairy beaver.
The set-up is the basis for any number of cock jokes, pussy puns, cream-beating insinuations and all things filthy.
Not all of the comedy lands, swept away by, or because of, the frenzied speed of delivery—no wonder the understudy had to come on book-in-hand—with the writing relying heavily on repetition, silliness and swearing.
One high spot is a collection of chicken glove puppets sending up Les Mis, and, whilst the musical is an easy target, Puss In Boots could do with more of this wit, which pops up again with the Queen speaking in lines from pop songs.
The stage at Wonderville, a cabaret, comedy and music venue, is not best suited to a theatre performance being deeper than it is wide and, with no wings to speak of, exits and entrances can be pretty clumsy. Acoustically, it doesn’t always work either, though Penrose’s soaring vocals could probably be heard in Victoria Station.
Puss In Boots, though, is, without doubt, true to its form and features many pantomime conventions, including a classic song-sheet scene with actions, call and response and the traditional ghost sketch where the rescue party are haunted by the ghost of Holly Willoughby and Philip Scofield’s relationship.
It of course closes joyfully in conventional style and, if you don’t mind your fun coming with a bit of rough, you too can have a happy ending.