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‘Pantoland’ isn’t technically a new pantomime: it played six performances at a reduced-capacity London Palladium last Christmas before it was forced to close along with the rest of London’s theatres.
So it makes sense to bring it back for 2021: why waste a good show? As the title suggests, ‘Pantoland’ is in fact a sort of mash-up of various bits of the previous years’ editions of the Palladium’s seasonal blockbuster. If you’re any sort of fan, you’ll know that the West End’s biggest Christmas show revolves around a hardcore of performers, and for 2021 the usual suspects of Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Gary Wilmot will all be returning, alongside Jac Yarrow (who made his debut last year) and Sophie Isaacs (Goldilocks from 2019’s ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’).
Plus a major special guest: fresh from his first Vegas residency, the man, the legend Donny Osmond will be bringing his immaculate teeth and unmistakable singing voice to the show, starring as The Wizard of Pantomime, presumably a sort of Wizard of Oz character.
As ever, the Palladium panto isn’t about meticulously constructed satire or a desperately coherent plot: it’s about raw, unadulterated entertainment, with the regulars usually duking it out to see who can score the biggest laughs.
Tickets go on general sale Tuesday August 24.