Review: Festive magic at Nottingham Playhouse's classic panto Dick Whittington

Classic pantomime characters took to the stage for an evening of fun at Nottingham Playhouse.

Dick Whittington was full of jokes for kids, and ­— as Dick’s name offers endless humour ­— jokes definitely not for kids.

While belting out favourite feel-good hits, the cast tell the tale of the evil King Rat and set sail on the high seas.

Lisa Ambalavanar is exceptional as Dick, as is Rosanna Bates as love interest Alice Fitzwarren, while Tom the Cat (Ewan Ling) plays saxaphone and dreams of being a star.

Sarah the Cook (John Elkington) and Silly Billy (Danny Hendrix) get into all sorts of hijinks, while King Rat (Christopher Chandler) earns a theatre-full of boos.

There’s nods to all kinds of pop culture ­— Jaws, Pirates of the Caribbean, Titanic, Pearly Kings and Queens and TikTok.

Newark even gets a mention ­— although whether it’s in a positive light is up for debate.

There’s also a talented troop of youngsters, the in-house band are pitch perfect, and Mark Walter’s set and costumes bring the stage to life.

All’s well that ends well as Fairy Bowbell’s magic saves the day. ­— EG