A strong cast, a barmy tale, and a good heart make Sinbad the Pantomime a hilarious show fit for all the family.
📍The Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh
📅 23 Nov to 31 Dec
💷 Peak £23, Off Peak £20, concessions available
🕖 2:00pm, 5:00opm, 7:00pm
🕖 Running time (approx.): 2 hours 10 minutes (one interval)
🎬 Writer/ Director:John Binnie
🛠️ Set & Costume Designer: Robin Mitchell
🩰 Choreographer: Amy Robinson
🎵 Musical Director:Tommie Travers
🎂 All ages
🎭 Relaxed performance: Wed 28 Dec 2pm ; BSL Interpreted performance: Fri 16 Dec 5pm; Audio description: Sat 17 Dec 7pm
Proving once more that Pantoland truly is a timeless artform, The Brunton’s 2022 panto summons Sinbad the Sailor from centuries old Arabic tale-telling (and mid-20th century swashbuckling celluloid) to sail the seven seas (well the Firth of Forth) in search of adventure. Writer & Director John Binnie takes little from Sinbad’s originating incarnations, save for the name, and a generally nautical theme.
This Sinbad (Calum Barbour) is a Musselburgh boy, born and bred, and though fond of the Honest Toun and his mum Betty Brunton (Graham Crammond), decides to seek out his fortunes upon the waves. He plans to take only his talking cat Cuddles (Ross Donnachie) for company, but through various subterfuges ends up with a much larger entourage.
The ‘big’ pantos occupying most of the country’s major stages for the month have much to recommend them in terms of sheer spectacle, but are almost universally lacking in a single ‘it’s behind you!’. Fortunately, Binnie’s Sinbad fully embraces what we might call later 20th century traditional Scottish panto, and bathes in audience choruses of ‘oh no you’re not’s’ and ‘aye aye Sinbad’s’, whilst making time mid-way to pull two kids and an adult on stage for a game of pictionary. This is fully interactive panto fun, and long may it last!
The story itself is a salty enough yarn, whisking our heroes off to an island paradise — probably not Inchcolm Island unless it’s become inhabited by a giant Roc bird with an evil witch for a victim supplying acolyte. Before they arrive, however, they first encounter a nefarious Pirate Queen intent on making them walk the plank, and before that the worst villain of all, a Musselburgh landlord, Moneygrabba. Each unapologetic villain is played with unquestionable relish by scenery obliterating Wendy Seager.
Generally speaking there’s plenty of fun to keep the audience engaged, from Cuddles continually dwindling supply of lives, to Betty Brunton’s anarchical misadventures as the show’s magesterial dame. In no episode of the A-team, did Hannibal ever suggest Mad Murdoch escape a villain’s clutches by popping a supurating boil in their face, but that’s just the exaulted level of ingenuity an audience can expect.
The cast, many familiar to regulars at Brunton panto’s of recent years, certainly know how to put the show on. Barbour is certainly a chirpy Sinbad, whilst his pal, and love interest Rosie (Eilidh Weir), proves most capable of the raft of re-purposed pop songs peppered throughout.
Rosie, you ask? Where did she come from? Well Rosie is a passing acquaintance of Sinbad’s from Musselburgh market, prone to being locked up by her mum, Moneygrabba. Rosie, and her Nurse (Isabella Jarrett) — presumably a status symbol in modern day Musselburgh — decide to stow away on Sinbad’s ship to escape the matriarch’s stifling attentions. Cue fake beard induced mayhem, and a surprise reveal. True love has never been encapsulated better than Sinbad’s first words on realising his crewmate’s female persuasion, ‘Oh wait,’ he declares ‘I know you!’ or words to that effect. Oh yes, and the Nurse has magic powers because…well why not? It’s a pantomime!
Of course, no-one is particularly amazed by Donnachie’s talking abilities as a cat, but he’s pretty amazing all the same. Fully embracing the utter ridiculousness of his part, this is a sulky, sardonic feline in for a truly incredible fate. You might think a resurrection is unseasonal; you might think having a blood thirsty island witch queen is a bold artistic choice; but clearly the motto of this panto is go big or go home. Crammond’s Betty Brunton is the cherry on the cake from start to end, never knowingly wasting a punchline, and impressively sharp minded when interacting with the audience.
Also impressive are the all dancing Chorus under choreographer Amy Robinson, who morph from pirates, to fish, to skeletons with huge aplomb, and ne’er a missed step. Robin Mitchell acquits himself well with both set and costume design, and particularly Betty’s attire which ranges from classic dame, through mermaid and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Tommie Travers proves a one person musical V8 engine, soundtracking and accompanying all with tireless enthusiasm.
Now across the piece, a few lines of dialogue were a little rushed, or somewhat thrown away, but no doubt the show will tighten up as it journeys into December, and the cast master opening performance adrenaline.
Sinbad’s pièce de résistance is, however, the closing sing-along. From the loving crafted clout bearing the carefully stiched lyrics, to the chaotic competition to see which side of the auditorium sings it best, this is the best way to conclude a panto — short of assaulting kids with balistic sweeties which is still forbidden by the lords of health & safety.
In the end it’s a strong cast, a barmy tale, and a good heart which make Sinbad the Pantomime a hilarious show fit for all the family.
(Photography Credits: Robin Mitchell)
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Hi. Thanks for the fantastic review, we love it and it is much appreciated. Please note, however, that there is no-one called Sam Hardie involved with the production and there is not an Assistant Director. Robin Mitchell is male.
Hi Robin, amend to the crew made! Have updated themself to himself! Best!