The Haymarket and The Anvil, Basingstoke |
Box office
01256 844244.
Haymarket Theatre, Wote Street, Basingstoke, RG21 7NW.
The Anvil, Churchill Way, Basingstoke, RG21 7QR.
The website is
www.anvilarts.org.uk.
Performances are at The Haymarket unless another location is given.
Next
A Midsummer Night's Dream, 31st October at The Haymarket
Sh!t-faced Shakespeare are pouring their legendary cock-eyed chaos into the Bard-shaped vessel that is A Midsummer Night's Dream. Think drunken donkeys, fandangled fairies, and mullered mechanicals... it's hard to imagine anything more magical, right?
A cast member will get genuinely spiffingly splifficated and attempt to perform a version of Shakespeare as you have never seen before. Nobody (not even the cast) knows in which direction the show will stumble. Come and get fuddled in the forest with us!
The Gruffalo, 20th to 21st November at The Haymarket
Searching for hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl, and the high-spirited Snake. Will the story of the terrifying Gruffalo save Mouse from ending up as dinner for these hungry woodland creatures? After all, there's no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there?
Songs, laughs, and monstrous fun for children (and their grown-ups), in the much-loved show that's toured Britain and the world!
The Owl Who Came for Christmas, 3rd to 8th December at The Haymarket
Join Rosie the Owl on her enchanting adventures as she finds herself nestled amidst the branches of a family's new Christmas tree. Witness the joy and wonder as the family discovers their unexpected visitor, and endeavours to help Rosie find her way back home to the forest.
Inspired by the true story, this charming tale celebrates the power of love, kindness, and the magic of Christmas. With toe-tapping songs, captivating puppetry, and plenty of opportunities for audience participation, this show promises to delight audiences of all ages.
Sleeping Beauty, 12th December to 5th January at The Anvil
The fabulous family pantomime at The Anvil promises a laugh-a-minute extravaganza with stunning sets, top musical hits, fantastic costumes, and exciting special effects to keep audiences both young and old entertained!
A beautiful Princess is cursed by the evil Carabosse on the eve of her 18th birthday party and can only be awoken by true love's kiss. Can the Good Fairy’s magical spell break the curse? Will she find her true love and live happily ever after?
A Christmas Carol, 14th to 15th December at The Haymarket
Always a sell-out, Chapterhouse Theatre Company is proud to return with A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens' famous tale of hope and redemption.
Follow the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he embarks upon a journey through his past, present, and future, learning along the way to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. With dazzling musical sequences and authentic period costuming, this production promises to be the perfect accompaniment to the festive season.
Reviews of Cinderella
9th December 2022 to 2nd January 2023
Review from the Newbury Weekly News.
It looks as though the traditional British panto has been given a facelift. Or should I say it’s been turbo charged?
From the opening of this production of Cinderella, there was a sense of big, bigger, biggest, loud, louder, loudest with a riot of more colourful costumes and scenery.
Even the extension of the stage out to the wings each side gave the illusion of inflation. Well, there’s a lot of it about.
Fairy Godmother Debbie McGee was there at the opening prologue, bright, bubbly and very colourful. She was soon chatting to Buttons, Chris Pizzey, who was as slick and smooth as any Buttons should be and soon introducing Rachel Grundy as Cinderella. With Joseph Hewlett as Prince Charming they made an attractive, well-matched couple.
Nic Gibney and Duncan Burt were two of the best Ugly Sisters and they played their parts up to the hilt. Bitter, vitriolic, they worked well together.
Music, colourful scenery and attractive costumes, dry ice and loud voices made it all very spectacular. I wonder though, where were the old routines and constant interaction with the audience? That seemed to have been erased from the show.
Even the ghost scene where a little voice behind us shouted ‘it’s behind you’, unaware that they weren’t doing it that way anymore. No sad songs from Cinderella either or Buttons’ comedy routines like they used to do.
This, though, was panto and everyone was having fun.
Ugly sister Harmony complained that she hadn’t met a single prince all week. “And not even a married one,” she continued, irritated.
One of the best moments in the show came after the Prince and Cinderella were discovered gazing into each other’s eyes. “Now who’s going to marry me?” Buttons asked Fairy Godmother.
A loud voice from the stalls called out: “I’ll marry you Buttons.” You could see Debbie McGee and Chris Pizzey were shaken and almost dried up. Pizzey recovered quickly though and shouted back: “Right, I’ll take whatever I can get.”
OK, so it wasn’t in the script or rehearsed, but it was very funny. And the two actors have been around long enough to know how to respond.
Was it a good show overall? Oh yes it was!
Did it have a lively sing-song with the audience and three little girls who came up on stage? Oh yes, it did!
Was there a special, extended curtain call with music and everybody on stage? Oh yes there was!
DEREK ANSELL
There is a review from Basingstoke Gazette ("everything you want from a pantomime - larger-than-life characters, side-splitting comedy, lavish costumes and spectacular scenery... the show filled me with joy and happiness from start to finish").
Reviews of previous productions
Aladdin (December 2019)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (December 2018)
Peter Pan (December 2017)
Sleeping Beauty (December 2016)
Jack and the Beanstalk (December 2015)
Cinderella (December 2014)
Aladdin (December 2013)
Snow White (December 2012)
Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play (December 2012). There is a review in the
Basingstoke Gazette ("fun,
not silly, sophisticated, yet simple, and contains a bounty of
incident for children to enjoy and digest").
Peter Pan (December 2011)
Beauty and the Beast (December 2011)
The Wind in the Willows (December 2010)
Sleeping Beauty (December 2010)
Cinderella (December 2009)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (December 2009)
Aladdin (December 2008)
A Christmas Carol (December 2008)
The Wizard of Oz (December 2007)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (December 2007)
The Borrowers (December 2006)
Private Lives (July 2006)
Whatever Happened to Bette and Joan? (February 2006)
The Wind in the Willows (December 2005)
The Canterville Ghost (December 2004)
The Playboy of the Western World (September 2004)
Thérèrse Raquin (January 2004)
The Three Musketeers (December 2003)
Mack and Mabel (November 2003)
Tartuffe (October 2003)
April in Paris (September 2003)
Perfect Pitch (June 2003)
The Daughter-in-Law (April 2003)
East (March 2003)
Relatively Speaking (March 2003)
Othello (February 2003)
Alice the Musical (December 2002)
Ghosts (April 2002)
Pickwick The Musical (December 2001)
The Sound of Music (November 2001)