7www.miltonkeynes.co.uk MK Citizen Go,Thursday, December 13, 2012theatre page

Escape toCamelot inthis week’scontest...

ESCAPE to Camelot with aspellbinding DVD of BBC 1’s fantasydrama Merlin – based on thelegend of King Arthur and Merlin,by entering this week’s magicalcompetition.

Merlin is undoubtedly one of themost successful dramas of recentyears and is currently back for a fifthseries.

Camelot is at the height ofits golden age and with QueenGuinevere and the Knights of theRound Table at his side, Arthur hasnever felt stronger.

Series five has been dubbed‘the most ambitious series yet’ byColin Morgan (who plays the youngwizard, Merlin) as the fight to savethe kingdom continues.

If you can’t bear the thought ofMerlin and co being off your screen,have we got a competition for you –win it, and you can watch series fiveall over again, at your leisure.

Richard Wilson plays Camelot’scourt physician and Merlin’sguardian and mentor, Gaius, in thedrama, but what was the nameof Richard’s character in the BBCsitcom ‘One Foot in the Grave’?

Mark your entry ‘MarvellousMerlin’.

ACCLAIMED performer MichaelCrawford has had a sparkling career,notably starring in Phantom of

the Opera and most recently, TheWizard of Oz.

As well as collecting numerousawards for his singing and stageperformances on both sides of theAtlantic, Michael has sold over 12million copies of the original castrecording of the Phantom of TheOpera.

Sure to follow that success,Michael Crawford The UltimateCollection is a new album whichboasts performances from classicalmusicals such as The Phantom ofThe Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar,Les Miserables and The Lion King.

From the rousing Before theParade Passes By to The Musicof the Night and I Dreamed aDream, Michael has crammed thiscollection full of musical hits.

For your chance to win a copy,just answer this question:

What was the name of thecharacter Michael Crawford playedin ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’?

‘Mark entries ‘Crawford, thanks’.

IL DIVO have shifted in excess of26 million albums, had 50 numberones and chalked up 160 gold andplatinum sales in more than 30countries.

And now the quartet – Urs Buhler,Carlos Marin, David Miller andSebastien Izambard have compiledthe best of the past eight years,and packaged it as the DefinitiveGreatest Hits.

The new release includesnumbers chosen by their fans –classics like Unbreak My Heart,Adagio and Unchained Melody, andnewly recorded moments specificto this CD, like their Italian renditionof My Heart Will Go On, and theSpanish-tongued I Will Always loveYou.

Classical crossover excellencecould be yours gratis, if you enterour competition.

We have copies up for grabs ifyou can tell us which Welsh mezzo-soprano IL Divo are confirmed totour with in 2013.

Mark your entry ‘IL Divo, please’

Send your answers, together withyour name and address, to: CitizenNewsdesk, Napier House, AucklandPark, Bond Avenue, Bletchley, Mk11BU.

> Closing date for entries isWednesday, December 19.

Usual Citizen T&Cs apply.

THE Stables enjoys a few morenights of normal service beforethe arrival of the Christmas showand how better to spend it thanwith Cleo’s Cockney Christmas?

The first lady of BritishJazz will be back on stage atthe venue she founded thisevening, and again tomorrowand Saturday for a three-dayspectacular.

And we use that word fittingly– Our Cleo has assembled afetching parade of finery: JanHunt will appear with Playersof the Paper Moon Theatredelivering sing-along melodies,Mike Hatchard (last seendazzling at Cleo’s birthday bashin October) is also on the bill,along with Charlie Wood, JacquiDankworth, Lorna Dallas, violinsensation Peter Fisher, EmilyDankworth amd her jazz choirVive and The Woburn SandsBand, conducted by Len Jenkins.

The Concert Orchestra,featuring Alec Dankworth andHenry Lowther will keep things incheck and moving along nicely.

It is, as the advertising bumfsays quite accurately, ‘a spledidassemblage of special guests.’

All you need to do is pick up

the dog and bone, book sometickets and go take a butcher’son your most preferred evening.

Go on your Jack Jones or pulltogether your pals, just maketracks to the Wavendon hauntand listen to THAT voice.

At 85 years young, Cleo stillhits notes that have alludedmost of us forever...

Tickets are £29.50 and £32.

> Cherry Lee Mewis has soldout her Stage 2 appearance atthe venue tomorrow, good newsfor her, bad news for ticketlessfans.

And, at the time of writing,tickets were sparse forfunnymen Seann Walsh &Josh Widdecombe, at thevenue on Sunday, but tryyour luck.

That Seann willput a smile on yourface.

What a beastly night out!COMMUNITY theatre group CLICK(shorthand for confidence, learning,integration, creativity, knowledge – all artisticessentials) is staging Disney’s enchantingBeauty and the Beast at the Chrysalis Theatrethis week, writes Georgina Butler.

Let CLICK transport you and all the familyto a pretty, provincial French town where aninventor named Maurice is taken captive byhis master – a horrible Beast.

His daughter Belleselflessly gives up herfreedom to save his life butshe must contend withliving with the castle’senchanted objects, defeatthe villainous Gaston andtame the Beast.

With all the famousDisney songs, including‘Be Our Guest’, ‘Beautyand the Beast’ and manymore Tony award winningnumbers, this productionis guaranteed to delightfans of the unforgettablefilm and charm newaudience members.

CLICK is an awardwinning amateurdramatic group and hasa good reputation forraising awareness ofcharities through itsshows.

This production is noexception – Beauty and theBeast is supporting MacmillanCancer Support (www.justgiving.com/beautybeast).

Despite being a smallcommunity group, this year theactor who was first to cover GaryColeman in the Avenue Q tourwill be playing Gaston, andthe rest of the cast hasexperience of performingat the Edinburgh Fringeand similar semi-professional venues.

After each production

the company holds a cast meet and greetso the children who attend can meet theirfavourite Disney characters.

Performances are at 7.30pm tonight,tomorrow and Saturday, with a matinee at2.30pm on Saturday.

Tickets are £12, concessions £6.To book, call 0844 8700 887 or visit www.

chrysalismk.co.uk

Cor blimey, what a Cockney carry on!

INIMITABLE,INCREDIBLE:Dame Cleo

10 www.miltonkeynes.co.ukMK Citizen Go,Thursday, December 13, 2012

Ho ho ho!all aboard for Santa’s grotto at Lidlington Church HallSaturday 15 December 2012, 10:30-15:30Kids and adults are welcome, take the train to Santa’s grotto,

only 100yds from Lidlington Station.

visit Santa in his grotto at Lidlington

a face-painter & balloon modeller

model railway layouts including ‘have a go’ layoutwww.marstonvalecommunityrail.org.uk

Marston Vale trains depart:

Bletchley 1005 1105 1201 1301 1401Bedford 1055 1155 1255 1355or join at any station along the route

From Bedford to Lidlington £4.00 adult returnFrom Bletchley to Lidlington £4.20 adult returnHalf price for Bedfordshire concessionary bus pass holders

GroupSave lets 3 or 4people travel for theprice of 2, and up to 4kids go for just £1 -ask for details or visitour website.

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www.londonmidland.com

FREE

ENTRY

refreshments available

A Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership eventVisit our new website www.marstonvalecommunityrail.org.uk

for lots of other ideas for great Christmas days out!Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/marstonvalecrp

Call us on 01234 832645

Orders over£15 receive

FREE1 Bombay Potato

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6

Wishing All OurCustomers a

Merry Christmasand a Happy New Year.

HAIR • BEAUTY • NAILS • ETC

get readyweekend

for the

IT wouldn’t be Christmas withoutsome panto magic and Cinderellaat Milton Keynes Theatre pulls outall the stops to cast its spell overaudiences.

Traditional good cheer fills thestage as the well-loved fairytaleis brought to life in Eric Potts’sharply written take on a classicstory.

Our Cinders is the extremelylikeable Anna Williamson –children’s TV presenter andChildLine ambassador – who isnever far from the loyal Buttons– comedy pianist and pantoaficionado, Kev Orkian – who issecretly in love with her.

Buttons befriends the audience,which included lots of childrenbut even more adults readyto let loose their inner big kid,keeping everyone informed, andthoroughly entertained.

Songbird Fairy GodmotherDeniece Pearson, of Five Starfame, narrates, lighting up theside of the stage with her crystal-encrusted dress and breaking upthe verse with bursts of sparklingvocals.

The curtain rises on a fast-paced song and dance number,‘Good Time’ by Owl City and CarlyRae Jepsen, before the villageof Milton-on-the-Moor and itsvarious characters are introduced.

As you would expect, thereare plenty of references to Milton

Keynes, roundabouts, concretecows, and audience participationaplenty.

Baron Hardup, played by TimHudson, a prolific panto performerwith numerous television credits,is flat-broke thanks to his two(ugly) step-daughters – Peachesand Pixie –- but dotes on hissweet daughter, Cinderella.

The absence of a dame, inthe guise of an evil step-mother,gives the ugly stepsisters evenmore kudos and they own thestage every time they enter to thecheeky theme music ‘Here ComeThe Girls’.

The less-than-attractive duohad the audience in stitches,donning outlandish costumeswhich seemed to get more andmore ridiculous as the show wenton.

Quips were quick andreferences to it-girls, Katie Price’spropensity to wed and QVC theshopping channel delivered togreat comedic effect by PaulBurnham (Peaches) and JohnBarr (Pixie).

Still, the star of the show hadto be TV personality and dancelegend Louie Spence, he was in‘Cats’ – as he repeatedly remindshis adoring audience.

Louie sparkles in sequins,resplendent in his hot pink tightsas Prince Charming’s assistant,wedding planner or ‘aide-de-

camp’ – “just call me camp”,Dandini.

Louie’s exuberance andastonishing dance moves stealpractically every scene as heleaps, twirls and pirouettes acrossthe stage.

He has perfect comic timingand is an all-round incredibleentertainer.

The only criticism is the lossof a few words to his speedydialogue, hindered ever so slightlyby his unique lisp, but even thisis given a panto-twist as Buttonsdemands a towel to deal with theflying spittle.

Louie’s dance technique proveshe has ‘still got it’ – his whole bodyis expressive, every movementprecise and quite simply fabulousand his fouette turns – turningfast on one leg with the otherwhipping out to the side – wouldput dancers half his age to shame.

And what of Prince Charming?Our handsome prince is played

by Andrew Derbyshire, no strangerto treading the boards in hugeshows, from ‘We Will Rock You’to ‘Joseph and the TechnicolourDreamcoat’.

Prince Charming is anaccomplished leading man, joiningCinders for a duet, ‘Wherever YouWill Go’, which showcases bothperformers’ voices and His RoyalHighness in particular is a bit of acharmer on the dance floor.

The ensemble cast of dancersperform a varied mix of dancestyles, from jazz and ballet toballroom and some folk-inspiredpartner work – and Louie and coeven break into a frenetic bout ofGangnam style at one point.

The junior ensemble castrevel in their roles, this writerwas in their shoes at MiltonKeynes Theatre back in 2000 for‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’– rest assured they will rememberthe experience of being on thatstage in pantomime for years tocome.

This rags to riches tale haseverything you could wish for –stunning sets, an awesome castof talented performers, plentyof ‘look behind you’ and ‘oh no itisn’t’ moments, ample innuendoto keep the adults entertained,plus real live ponies.

All this to a soundtrack whichincludes songs by current chart-toppers One Direction, Olly Mursand Owl City, as well as classic hitsby Elton John and The Beatles.

> Who needs a FairyGodmother – everyone isinvited to have a ball at thiswonderful family show – call0844 8717652 or visit www.atgtickets/miltonkeynes.comto book your tickets now.

Georgina Butler

panto review

Panto puns and family fun

UGLY SISTERS: Peaches and Pixie cause the usualmayhem in Milton Keynes Theatre’s production ofCinderella