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SINBAD THE SAILOR
Berwick Kaler, the grand old Dame of York, has been packing them in at the Theatre Royal for longer than most people can remember and he has no intention of stopping. Why should he, considering that every March when tickets go on sale, people queue round the block for them and they always sells out, attracting annual audiences of over 50,000? Why should he, indeed, when, as the writer and co-director of the panto and its chief star, he’s a legend in his adopted city and people come from all over the world to see him?
This year, in Sinbad, his comic genius burns as bright as ever. He only has to saunter on to the stage to bring the house down, and a shrug of the shoulders or quirking of an eyebrow are enough to launch a thousand guffaws. Then, when exaggerating his native Sunderland accent, he starts blagging on about his babbies and his bairns, uproar ensues. Where most pantomime dames flounce around in extravagantly fruity costumes, Berwick strides on in his trademark Doc Martin’s and refuses to camp it up. There are no saucy asides or louche innuendoes. Instead, there is an incredible rapport with the audience. He holds them in the palm of his hand. They watch his every movement, hang on his every word.
They say if you really want to know the truth about how a theatrical production is going down don’t ask a critic, ask an usherette. I did. And she told me that Berwick, this year playing Sinbad’s mum, Nelli Fatardo, genuinely does ad lib all the time and the script seems to be constantly evolving.
And what an inventive and up-to-date script it is! The magic carpet of The Thousand and One Nights has metamorphosed itself into a twinkling spacecraft, manned by Vulcan-headed wizard Jack Warlock. David Leonard is superb as the thinking man’s hissable villain, lording it over time, doing a rap impersonation here and dropping in a Noel Coward impression there. For most of the time, he appears to be depping for a certain pirate of the Caribbean. How things have changed since David, in his first panto here back in 1984, last played in Sinbad.
Martin Barrass also made his York pantomime debut in that year and he, too, seems to just get better and better. This year he is a Popeye lookalike with the unpromising name of Binbag. If he is supposed to be work-shy, there is certainly nothing dilatory about Martin’s performance as he skips, trips and quips around the stage constantly on the move, while Berwick stands there and takes his measure. Their slapstick routines have to be seen to to be seen to be believed.
Amidst all this praising of old favourites, we must not forget the distinctly youthful eponymous hero, played pleasingly by Vincent Gray, himself no stranger, of course, to York pantos. The vivacious Julie-Anna Castro certainly has singing, acting and dancing talent to burn and makes a tasty Donna Kebab for Sinbad to want to devour.
Sian Howard as ever is a super trouper, this year in the twin roles of Donna’s mother, Shish, and Queen Nefertiti. Michael Joseph and A.J. Powell, the two knockabout stooges, Ali-Moany and Ali-Lujah, threaten at one point to almost steal a scene, doing an incredible Wilson, Kepple and Betty sand dance minus Betty – until, you’ve guessed it, Betty turns up, wearing Doc Martin’s!
York Theatre Royal’s pantomime has become a legend in Berwick Kaler’s lifetime. There are people approaching middle-age in his audience who first saw him when they were wee skinny nippers, as they would say where he comes from. He is unquestionably a comic of genius. Don’t miss him.
ANDREW LIDDLE
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York Theatre Royal Blog 