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This year we’re in the lesser-known Baltic state of Slutvia where the evil and very gay Prince Camembert, desperate for the throne, puts a curse on his nephew Prince Areola (Arry for short, of course): if he ‘takes a prick’ before his twenty-first birthday he will die. Then it’s an unending litany of gags about, well, everything from rimming to the Royal Family. So thick and fast does the filth come that it seems to infect the mind. Even the costumes start looking like Georgia O’Keeffe paintings, pink and labial. And is the set a giant bum hole?
Chris Lane’s scheming Camembert is a scowling delight, while former Stag stalwart Matthew Baldwin is as wonderful as ever as the dame, this year Queen Gertrude of Slutvia, his thick make-up and colourful outfits a contrast to his wonderfully camp insouciance.
Even if it gets a bit baggy in the middle, and maybe the jokes aren’t quite as sharp as previous years, it’s good to see this adult panto back, hitting the sweet spot for those who love the form but have put the days of family-friendly firmly behind them.