The Panto of all Pantos. That was a bit of a premature statement to make before the first show kicked off. How can anyone make that statement?
On our entrance into the theatre, we were bedazzled by the stage. Colorful, traditional décor, mixed with digital screens, a live ensemble, and red curtains, tied all the way back, to bring a bigger stage to the audience.
The fairytales started. From the first song, the crowd was cheering, applauding, and singing along. Some famous pop tunes, some older ones, but all the lyrics were well known by many audience members.
The acting was good, the energy on the stage was out of this world. Literally…
The cast took us on a joyride from magic carpet rides to poisonous apples laced with sing along, dance along and baby sharks.
Flying rockets and diving submarines took us on a trip straight to outer space and right back into the deepest oceans.
An omnibus of fairytales with a modern twist. Avant-garde creations on stage turned this pantomime into a imaginary real-life universe.
This review will not give much away, but expect a basket full of surprises, loads and loads of kids’ entertainment and some very witty adult humor in between. This year the panto has something for everyone. Even Pinocchio made a visit to the stage…Watch out for the spotlights of something arriving on stage and get ready to be “blasted” by the evil ones. All of these contributed to the “wow-factor”.
The mom in front of us closed her little boys’ eyes at one stage as he got scared of some of the scenes. For us, that is a sign of a good production, because it indicates that the imaginative brain was switched on with many a young folk. Just a friendly note…There are strobe lightning effects used on stage.
Overall, this years’ panto lived up to its slogan and they had the fullest right to call this the Panto of all Pantos. As 2022 was the 60th Birthday of Joburg Theatre, there are no better way to end the year long celebrations with the highlight of the year, the annual pantomime.
Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland includes production designer Andrew Timm, choreographer Nicol Sheraton, musical director Dale-Ray Scheepers, costume coordinator Bronwen Lovegrove and lighting designer Johan Ferreira. Executive Producer, Bernard Jay, once again proves his highly professional skills and talent to bring you this masterpiece to stage.
A massive congratulations to Bronwen Kerry from B-Sharp Entertainment for doing PR and behind the scenes media to such a spectacle!
Tickets from R260 are available now by visiting www.joburgtheatre.com or by calling 0861 670 670. Terrific discount prices are available for groups of ten or more. The pantomime season will run until Saturday December 24th, 2022, and tickets are selling extremely fast.
Galore SA is also very excited to announce that Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland made our exclusive list, namely “The Highly Recommendable and Ultimate Experiences List” with a Galore SA rating of 96%.
Access this exclusive list right here:
We are so honored to have been part of so many celebrations at Joburg Theatre this year. Our performing arts are alive!
Signing Out till next years’ panto!
Love
The Boys from Galore SA.
- Should you be interested in us reviewing your next show, product, performance or event, email us on info@galoresa.online
Thank you for this wonderful review – I cannot wait to watch! Never miss it!