Review: Potted Panto at the Apollo Theatre, London

What’s one of the best things about the Christmas season? It’s the only time of year when you can go to the theatre on a Sunday morning!

Finding myself at a loose end for a few hours before my Sunday afternoon matinee (review coming soon) and with an enticing last-minute ticket offer, I decided to check out the 11am performance of Potted Panto at the Apollo Theatre.

What’s it about?

Two performers, 7 pantomimes, 70 minutes. Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner, supported by Charlotte Payne and Jacob Jackson, take us on a madcap journey through seven beloved stories (one of which definitely isn’t a panto). But of course, things don’t go entirely according to plan.

Any content notes?

Potted Panto is family-friendly and recommended for ages 6+. As with any traditional panto, there’s a smattering of risqué humour for the adults that will go over little ones’ heads.

Foam “snow” falls from the ceiling towards the end of the show, so you might get covered in it if you’re sitting in the first few rows (particularly the end seats.) And as always with panto, don’t sit in the first few rows if you don’t do audience participation.

Potted Panto: My Review

Potted Panto comes with all the tropes you’d expect from a traditional pantomime. There’s beautiful princesses, handsome if self-involved princes, singing fairies, men in dresses, audience participation, the obligatory “he’s behind you” sequence, contemporary political and pop-culture references, the finale singalong, and getting hit in the face with flying sweeties. The show both makes use of the traditional tropes and makes fun of them.

There are some genuinely hilarious gags. The mix-up of Aladdin’s Abanazer with A Christmas Carol’s Ebenezer, and the appearance of the “moose that laid the golden egg” (no, that’s not a typo) had me in stitches. Others felt a little forced (maybe this is me showing my age but poo and vomit jokes are more gross than funny, sorry.)

Dan as both of Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters

By far the strongest element of Potted Panto is Dan and Jeff’s on-stage dynamic. These two have been performing together since they created Potted Potter in 2005, and it shows in their easy back-and-forth and gentle ribbing on each other. Jeff attempts to keep things on track while jokester Dan foils him with slapstick silliness, costume fails, and asides. The apparent mayhem on stage is beautifully choreographed, and Dan and Jeff have exceptional comic timing.

Jeff as Dick Whittington and Dan as Tom the Cat

The set is simple, consisting of an outline of a house with red curtains over the windows and doors, as well as a podium with a book and a long covered box. This is partly practical (Potted Panto shares the theatre with other shows, in this instance Derren Brown’s Showman) but also adds to the thrown-together, working-with-what-we’ve got vibe.

At just 70 minutes, Potted Panto is about the right length. A couple of the gags dragged on a beat or two too long, but overall it’s fast-paced and engaging. Not quite theatrical genius, perhaps, but it’s a fun a celebration of the great and utterly bizarre British tradition of pantomime.

Where to get tickets

Potted Panto has now finished for this season but is sure to return next Christmas!