The Reviewers
Two babbies and two bairns in attendance. As frequent theatre goers, we are regular visitors to this unassuming building on Cumberland Street, but it is always such a pleasure to return. We love the atmosphere of theatre foyers; buzzing with so many different people, all waiting in excitement to see the show. (We also love a cheeky interval snack, but more about that later!)
The Story
In a short and sweet nutshell, Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates of the River Ouse is a comedy about a York “sailor” who finds himself on a (not so) desert island. But a pantomime is never really about the story, is it?! A panto is about the show…
The Show
…and the show was everything you could ever wish for from a good old hearty family pantomime. Have we seen it all before?! Oh, yeees, weee haaave. In fact, in Berwick’s case, York has seen its very own Dame 42 times before! Do we still want to see them all again and again though?! Oh, yeees, weee dooo!
Humour, mayhem and shenanigans are part of any panto, anywhere in the country, and Robinson Crusoe wasn’t any different. We had joke after joke, in-your-face characters, ridiculous costumes, chaos, loud music, colourful glittery stage sets that make your eyes slightly hurt and our personal favourite, the Bestest Baddie in the Business.
But what really makes York’s Very Own Panto different is that it is practically delivered by friends. Family, even. The people you used to go and see with your parents and grandparents are the people who now make your children laugh. I always get a bit emotional at the end when messages of returning audience members are read out; more often than not families of multiple generations, coming from far and wide.
There is something very warm and fuzzy about it all and in the age of fast fashion, throwaway plastic and one minute social media wonders that is a very special treasure indeed. Dame Berwick, ‘Young’ Martin, ‘Macho Macho Man’ AJ, Fairy Suzy and Devilish David were all on their usual top form and so were all the supporting babbies and bairns.
