A CHRISTMAS comedy tradition is to be revived this year with the return of the much-loved Weirdos Panto, the first in five years.
The Christmas Space Race, which stars more than 20 stalwarts of the alternative comedy scene, will be at Bloomsbury Theatre in London on Friday 20 December.
Writer and Director Adam Larter said: “I’m really happy we are bringing the panto back for comedy fans this year. We have a comedy-nerds dream cast with some of the most unique and absurd talents on the fringe-comedy scene.”
In this year’s comic take on a traditional Christmas show the heroes have to race to space to beat a bad bunch of billionaires – who in this case are led by Elon Musk.
Larter says: “I think what we do is unique because we write a whole new Christmas story – rather than just adapt one of the traditional panto stories.
“It’s for adults only – not because it is full of sex and swearing, but because it is a bit weird and confusing and all the adults are behaving like children, which is a big part of the fun.”
The cast includes former Leicester Square New Comedian winner Sam Nicoresti, former Malcolm Hardee Award winner Michael Brunström, absurdist clown Lucy Pearman, Tiktok sensation Christian Brighty, cartoonist comic Bec Hill and spoof professor Mark Silcox, just a handful of the extensive cast.
Previous weirdos pantomimes have been staged in some unusual locations, including a disused private members club opposite the Bank of England and even, on one memorable occasion on the ice rink at Alexandra Palace.
“Lots of people think we don’t rehearse – but it’s impossible to get the whole cast together before the performance – so we do a lot of rehearsals then put it all together on the night – which keeps it enjoyably loose,” says Larter.
The full cast line up is: Ali Brice, Alwin Solanky, Andy Barr, Aniruddh Ojha, Bec Hill, Ben Alborough, Cerys Bradley Charlie Miller, Charlie Vero Martin, Christian Brighty, Helen Duff, Joz Norris, Kat Cade, Liberty Hodes, Lucy Pearman, Mark Silcox, Marny Godden, Matthew Highton, Michael Brunström, Mikey Bligh-Smith, Olivia Deane, Pat Cahill, Sam Nicoresti, Suchandrika Chakrabarti.
Tickets are £13 and £15, with all proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
Buy tickets here:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-theatre/events/2024/dec/weirdos-comedy-...
Weirdos Comedy … and the Christmas Space Race: An Alternative Pantomime
Bloomsbury Theatre, University College London, 15 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AH
Friday 20th December 2024, 8pm.
Box Office: 020 3108 1000 (Mon-Fri 12:00-17:00)
Picture from past show finale chaos by Isabelle Adam
