★★★★

“newcomers of all ages will enjoy this playful and imaginative production”

Creation Theatre’s alternative version of The Nutcracker trades point shoes and pas de deux for plot, characters and a hark back to a wonderfully odd German tale written by E.T.A Hoffmann nearly two centuries ago. Rather than relying on classical ballet and a sweeping score, this production (written and directed by Helen Eastman) leans fully into storytelling giving the familiar characters new depth and transforming the whimsical world of The Nutcracker into something more vivid and emotionally resonant with a touch of ‘Toy Story’ thrown in.

At its heart is Marie (played with childish wonder by Hayley Murray) a perceptive little girl who sees things that adults cannot. It is Christmas Eve and Marie and her annoying brother Fritz are helping their mother (Asha Cornelia Cluer who also plays Clara and the twinkly Sugar Plum Fairy) to decorate the Christmas tree. All three have a very different perception of what a perfect Christmas should be. We see the fraught Christmas of her mother trying frantically to juggle everything before the big day, Fritz taking delight in tormenting his sister and timid Marie who just wants her mother to listen to her and is happy for them all to just be together. Their eccentric Uncle Drosselmeyer pays them a visit and gives Marie a toy nutcracker (a marvellously wooden performance by Clark Alexander who also plays Drosselmeyer) as a Christmas present. When The Nutcracker and her favourite toy Clara later come alive to wage war against the fiendish Mouse King, whose subjects have taken up residence in her house, she is drawn into a surreal hidden world of sweets, mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Here she finds her confidence and discovers her own superpowers – kindness, friendship, loyalty and some very useful yet appalling recorder playing!

The Mouse King (played by Andy Owens who also plays Fritz) is a kind of gangster rapper baddie who has a delightfully witty scene of cleverly rephrased Shakespearean quotes ‘a plague on both your mouses’, ‘friends, rodents, countrymen…’ which helps to pick up the pace in the second half along with a hilarious battle scene involving brussels sprouts. The children, who are all part of Creation Theatre’s education programme that reaches hundreds of children annually through weekly drama clubs and holiday workshops, play the mice and various sweets and sing along to the catchy original songs by composer Patrick Stockbridge. They even serenade us with carols in the foyer – what a lovely touch.

The adaptable set (David Spence) is a jauntily angled classic living room with candy striped walls, hung with the odd masterpiece and a black and white liquorice allsorts floor. Drosselmeyer peers down at the action through the lath and plaster ceiling bursting with clock mechanisms reflecting the style of the pre Victorian era in which it was written.

Modern ballets ignore the tale within a tale which is acted out in this production and explains The Nutcracker’s enchantment. The original story hints that beneath all the Christmas sparkle lies something darker than the sugar-coated story this has become over the years. Long time fans of the original will appreciate the respectful nods to tradition while newcomers of all ages will enjoy this playful and imaginative production of The Nutcracker.

POTTED PANTO

Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★★★

“an incredibly creative and comical work of genius”

Potted Panto is a brilliant, fun and hilarious explosion of spectacular panto goodness! Written by Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner and Richard Hurst we speed through six well known pantomimes, and are led by the leading stars Daniel Clarkson and Gary Trainor. They both shift and swap between playing the hosts, narrators and characters for each of the stories bringing to life well known stories with side splitting and rib tickling twists and turns.

Upon entering the auditorium you are immediately welcomed with well known Christmas jingles and songs getting you in the spirit for some festive tradition. The stage (Simon Scullion) is set with five windows, a door and a chest, all of which is lavishly draped in deep Christmas red velvet. Amongst these things is a podium holding a very large book, immediately setting a tone of anticipation for a bombardment of entertaining storytelling along with the mystery of who we’re about to meet. Who will be appearing in these windows and doors? What could be stored in the chest? What stories are in this oversized book that will have us cackling in mere moments. The excitement was palpable.

We very quickly meet our storytellers for the evening and they captivate the audience in a moment’s breath. The dynamic duo stun us with high energy and witty humour getting us prepped and primed for the madness that will come. You will hardly believe that these two could possibly move through so many pantomime stories and characters all whilst keeping us tickled, but they were both spewing absolute mastery in holding the audience, embodying multiples characters and giving us ALL the jokes and pantomime tropes possible. It was just out of this world how talented these two men were on stage, they made what on paper seems impossible, look slick and somewhat organised! Yes, it was naturally chaotic but they lean so far into absolute absurdity that we have no choice but to join in and enjoy the utter silliness of it all.

The Potted Panto script itself is a work of art alone, Clarkson, Turner and Hurst take the most important and iconic scenes and present them to us with a fresh new lens, they also zoom into things that are often overlooked and make them unforgettable. We see new and returning characters all made hilariously fun. The script is extremely up to date and relevant for all ages, there is really something for everyone to enjoy.

It’s really no wonder why Potted Panto is Olivier Nominated, it’s an incredibly creative and comical work of genius. We have all the traditional pantomime rules and traditions made better without losing any of the nostalgia and comforts of a pantomime at Christmas.

The talent really runs through this production, from singing and acting appearances of the stage managers, James Guilliford and Georgia Corrigan. To the costumes (Nicky Bunch), which were ingeniously put together to support a vast amount of quick changes but not forgetting iconic outfits and hilarious put-together costumes that deserve a laugh and a round of applause independently.

The sound, music and sound effects (Tom Lishman, Mark Cunningham and Drew Jameson) keep us singing and laughing throughout, helping the energy to stay high and joyful, you just want to join in with everything.

All in all Potted Panto is a glorious night out. It’s everything you want in (six!) pantomimes and even more. Get ready to get involved, have a laugh, cringe and cry if you’re wanting to see this masterpiece. It is truly worth every penny.

THE NUTCRACKER

The North Wall

★★★★

“newcomers of all ages will enjoy this playful and imaginative production”

THE NUTCRACKER

The North Wall

Reviewed on 6th December 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Geraint Lewis

Previously reviewed by Sarah:

THE NUTCRACKER

THE NUTCRACKER

THE NUTCRACKER

POTTED PANTO

Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★★★

“an incredibly creative and comical work of genius”

POTTED PANTO

Wilton’s Music Hall

Reviewed on 5th December 2025

by Paige Wilson-Lawrence

Photography by Geraint Lewis

Most recent shows reviewed at this venue:

POTTED PANTO

POTTED PANTO

POTTED PANTO

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