Dick and His Pussy at Her Upstairs
On until 21st December
Panto season is in full effect on the scene and this year a new name has joined the madness as Her Upstairs in Camden presents their first annual Pantomime.
Dick And His Pussy, written by Gareth Joyner, takes the traditional Dick Whittington and transforms it into the story of a cafe/gay bar in Camden threatened by an evil property developer, a story with resonance for the LGBT residents of NW1. Our hero is Richard Whittington, played with thigh-slapping gusto by Mynxie Monroe, who doesn’t like his name shortened, as it can lead to innuendo and his mostly disinterested companion, Pussy, imagine a more camp version of the Cat from Red Dwarf, played by Tayce. The cafe is run by Sarah Can’t-Cook-Won’t Cook in a fantastic performance by Tracy Barlow and her two daughters, Alice, (Cheryl Hole) who has a serious coke problem, the problem being she can’t get enough and Herr, very funny as Jackie whose addiction is social media. This unlikely bunch of ‘heroes’ are teamed up against King Rat, played when we saw it, with delicious evilness by Ruby Wednesday. All the proper pantomime features are present and correct, mixed up with great gags, loads of puns and funny songs. It’s not the slickest production, it’s a bit chaotic but that’s it’s charm and it is totally engaging, with loads of heart and a great cast, especially Tracy as the dame. Dick and His Pussy is packed with genuinely hilarious laugh-out-loud moments, and you’ll need to watch out for flying marshmallows! It’s very 2017, very funny, totally doesn’t take itself too seriously and is definitely very Her Upstairs.
Dave Cross.
****
Her Upstairs, 18 Kentish Town Road, Camden, NW1.
Tickets from [email protected]
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