The official definition of Pantomime is ‘a play or entertainment in which the performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music.’ The reality of this very traditional English stage show which is full of crude double entendres with some of the first drag queens in history would never pass as children’s entertainment in Florida but we Brit ‘kids’ were raised on it.
Describing them as ‘camp’ is an understatement especially when the cast is full of soap opera actors, ot even so-called Reality TV stars whose careers are in a fast decline. In fact, that is part of the premise of a wonderful monologue that Philip Meeks was inspired to write when he discovered beloved Brit actor John Inman (Are You Being Served) having to give way to some contestant from Big Brother
And so Harold Thropp was born: once the most feted dame on the circuit, now reduced to a changing room in the basement and struggling to come to terms with the fact that he has more lines on his face than there are in this year’s show.
Played by Dereck Walker (Tina Tickle in TICKLE) this wee gem is playing at The Drayton Arms Theatre. London
TWINKLE 17th Jan 2023 - Sat 21st Jan 2023 https://www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/twinkle
