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.
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:
THE ENIGMATIST | ★★★★ | November 2025
MUSIK | ★★★★ | October 2025
THE REMARKABLE BEN HART | ★★★★★ | September 2025
MACBETH | ★★★★ | July 2025
ROMEO AND JULIET | ★★★ | June 2025
MARY AND THE HYENAS | ★★★ | March 2025
