She’s Behind You
Pantomime in August? Oh no it isn’t!
It isn’t, actually. True, She’s Behind You is a self-penned celebration of the daming career of Edinburgh panto legend Johnny McKnight, that’s performed by him in full Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz-themed outfit. And he does throw sweets to the audience.
But he also swears a lot and eschews a fairytale plot in favour of an autobiographical night in which he shares stories from his career in panto, something that has taken up much of his adulthood.
It’s a funny old show, but it starts off strong. Directed by the great John Tiffany, it fizzes into the room effervescently. There is, quite simply, a lot of mileage in a dame coming on stage in the middle of August and swearing a lot: it’s giddily subversive of the genre’s wholesomeness while embracing its undercurrent of naughtiness, and there’s just an illicit thrill to being reminded of panto at this time of year, like scoffing a plate of mince pies in March. Kenny Miller’s set is uncluttered by props, but built around a big star of colourful lights that glitters and twinkles like the world’s most fabulous dressing room.
After a while it gets more earnest, as McKnight talks about what we might call his panto journey, which has taken in two decades, 18 dame performances, and 30 writing credits. The sweary veneer is largely put to one side and he speaks earnestly about his youthful days in panto and playing the sexless Silly Billy role, graduating to daming, getting pissed at an aftershow...
