Dick Whittington-a magical night to remember!

This is pantomime is worthy of five plus stars-it is side splitingly funny and packed with unadulterated silliness! Just what you need to bring a winter smile to your face! Another cracker from the Queen’s!

Local campaigner and theatre reviewer Ruth Kettle-Frisby today reviews Dick Whittington-this season’s panto at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.

The magic of Christmas pizazz is brought to us this year at Queens Theatre by Dick Whittington along with a remarkable cat, sewerfulls of singing rats, an irreverent dame (spectacularly donned in an array of show-stopping cream puff frocks), the King of Rock and Roll himself…oh and a random lizard guy called Ian. What’s not to like?

Dick Whittington (Michali Dantes) from Hornchurch –faithfully represented as a peaceful utopia of a town where everyone is happy and exceptionally well-behaved – pairs up with a charismatic Manx to embark on a rat-conquering mission of epic proportions. They discover the meaning of friendship in a bakery-based context on the way to accomplishing their combined mission to acquire a new tail and spangly red coat respectively.

This performance is packed full of surreal adventure, relentless humour, and unadulterated silliness! Sorrel Jordan (as the fantastic Cherry Bakewell), Priscille Grace, Michali Dantes, and the dazzling Elliot Mackenzie are all superb. In fact, all the elements of the show deliver exactly what all generations want out of a panto: consistent opportunities for audience interaction (with none of the scary singling out of unsuspecting children in aisle seats that I remember!), a gentle emotional rollercoaster, a love story, and off-the-wall adventure. Conflict is introduced at the claws of Verminia (played by Laura Sillett): a rodent femme fatale dressed to kill off small baking businesses, and to deter mayoral aspirations in the young and plucky.

Yes, kids love the show…but it’s their adults who find it hilarious! Dominic Gee-Burch, who plays the outrageously glamorous Sherrie Trifle, is side-splittingly funny. She seamlessly blends topical quips (complete with references to some of today’s less entertainingly choreographed villains!) with physical humour and lashings of innuendo, often teetering confidently on the edge of Only Flans bawdiness with a charmingly sweet-toothed delivery that will have you eating out of her hand. If Sherrie was the queen of inuendo, then Sillett’s Rat Queen presided over some splendid alliteration; resplendent in purple and radioactive green, she is a born entertainer with a tremendous vocal range.

Take your kids along for a magical night they will remember, and rest assured that the performance works on different levels of perception, so you’ll have a blast too. So just in case the chaos of parenting in 2020sBritian ever leaves you wondering why you bothered, rest assured that your little darlings are your tickets to pull up a comfy red Queens theatre seat and enjoy aquality night off with Dick and all his friends!

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you