★★★★★

“this raucously joyful romp will put a bit of much needed magic into everyone’s lives”

If you are looking for a pantomime to see this Christmas look no further than this absolute treat of a show at the Lyric Hammersmith. With a stellar cast and a strong creative pedigree in writer Sonia Jalaly and director Nicholai La Barrie, it more than meets expectations on every level.

From the outset the Fairy Godfather in a shimmering gold dressing gown and big blue fluffy slippers, makes us aware of how Hammersmith is losing its imagination. It soon becomes all too clear why, when we are introduced to Fleshcreep Academy, the local Hammersmith school, complete with copious security cameras and a sadistic headmaster, (a brilliant bully of a baddy played by John Partridge). Meanwhile our hero Jack (Joey James), who is so lacking in confidence that he communicates through a sock puppet and his sister Jill (Sienna Widd), who has enough sass for the entire school have just started their first day, joined by their mother Momma Trott (a highly entertaining Sam Harrison) who has been hired as the new dinner lady. His first appearance with three stripey pink and white mugs strapped at jaunty angles to his pink wig, wearing a satin pink ‘diamonds are a girls best friend’ outfit, looks like a cross between a RuPaul Drag Race contestant and Rylan. All credit to the costume dept (Georgia Lowe) for an incredible job and particularly for Momma Trott’s imaginative and hilarious wardrobe.

In order to defeat The Giant, Jade Hackett’s ‘Looney Tunes’ Fairy Godfather valiantly tries to capture everyone’s imagination and her performance is a comedic masterpiece – her hilarious footwork alone is a pure delight. Jack eventually finds his voice and what a voice…. Joey James is excellent, playing the dual characters of himself and his ‘sock’ alter ego. Not only is he an exceptional rapper, but he also delivers a killer melodic line in the song ‘Pure Imagination’.

Corin Buckeridge’s cleverly created songs feel so currently familiar, yet are original compositions. The sound (Nick Manning) hits just the right level which is no mean feat for a pantomime and Kayla Lomas-Kirton’s vibrant and contemporary choreography delights the younger members of the audience. Older generations will recognise and appreciate other witty musical sound bites like ‘Take my Breath Away’ and ‘Hello Darkness my old Friend’ and the cheeky reenactment of the CCTV Coldplay footage and the inclusion of the controversial 6/7 shows just how appealing this production is to all ages.

The Lyric Hammersmith prides itself for bringing their community together and having innovation at its heart. Well they have truly pushed the boundaries in this production, whilst still maintaining all the core values of a truly traditional panto. This is a tumultuously feel-good show about hopes and dreams …. as the Fairy Godfather said ‘There is nothing more magical than a child’s imagination’. From the audience’s reaction, this raucously joyful romp will put a bit of much needed magic into everyone’s lives.

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry”

It’s a dangerous thing, walking out your front door. Especially for Sam — because there’s a ticking time bomb nestled in her brain. A clipped, but still very dangerous little aneurysm which she not-so-affectionately refers to as “Annie”.

Dear Annie, I Hate You is Sam Ipema’s autobiographical journey through young adulthood and the event that stopped her cold at just 20 years old. She weaves a lovely, warm tale about growing up with her adopted brother Micah, who lives with Down’s Syndrome. They pretend to be superheroes, they revel in imagination together, and he thinks of her as his own personal Batman — until Sam realises that other kids her age don’t think that’s cool anymore. She tells Micah to get his own friends, as she gets her own too. The classic ups and downs of adolescence ensue. There are boys, there’s gossip, and through it all, Sam is just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. She falls in love with soccer, proudly becoming the only woman on a Division Four men’s team… then she sustains a head injury in a match, and all hell breaks loose. It’s lucky, she’s told, that she had the scans — that her aneurysm was found before it burst, potentially killing her. But how can you tell someone it’s lucky to find out that there’s a bomb in your head?

Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry. When she engages with the audience, you can tell they’re charmed by her. The personification of her aneurysm, “Annie”, played by Eleanor House is nothing short of sublime, especially as she introduces herself. She’s chaos incarnate, but she’s also desperately trying to get Sam to pay attention to her, almost as though she has more concern for Sam’s life than even Sam does. The performances are beautifully aided by simple, but effective set design by Hugo Dodsworth and the videography work from Douglas Coghlan and Dan Light is exceptional. The analog media on display here is a fun and interesting addition, as it beckons us (well, some of us, I’m sure) back to our own childhoods. But there’s one scene in particular that really makes it feel beyond genius — when Sam places one of the many televisions over Annie’s head and walks us through the procedure she underwent, having her aneurysm clipped. It’s definitely a bit graphic, but it’s also fascinating and viscerally real.

As we arrive at Sam’s recovery, it does feel a bit like something is missing. It’s all a touch too neat. Sam talks about the difficulties of her recovery, the excruciating pain, the loneliness of it all, and the existential dread that comes with knowing that “Annie” could still burst and potentially kill her at any moment. Yet for some reason, it doesn’t feel like it quite lands the emotional punch that it should. But maybe that’s the point of it all, really — even these massive, traumatic events are just blips in the overall scheme of things. No matter what, we’ve just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Lyric Hammersmith

★★★★★

“this raucously joyful romp will put a bit of much needed magic into everyone’s lives”

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Lyric Hammersmith

Reviewed on 22nd November 2025

by Sarah Milton

Photography by Manuel Harlan

Previously reviewed at this venue:

JACK AND

JACK AND

JACK AND

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry”

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 12th May 2025

by Stacey Cullen

Photography by Charlie Flint

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

DEAR ANNIE

DEAR ANNIE

DEAR ANNIE

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