Just a Minute panto - Merry Christmas
For a variety oif reasons, my enthusiasm for Just Minute has cooled a bit recently. But the Just A Minute panto was absolutely excellent, one of the best editions of the show ever.
The surprise to me was the involvement of Prince Charles. I can take and leave Royal messages for anniversaries, but I thought what he said was nice. He was the only person to reference the panellists of the past despite all the talk of 50 years of Just A Minute, and did so in a natural and interesting way.
The pantomime material was really well integrated with the "game" which was played between two teams, I assume because the fourth seat was changed between four guest panellists, Tony Hawks, Tom Allen, Rufus Hound and Pippa Evans. Gyles Brandreth wrote the panto material and was in top form, I thought.. Paul was as funny as he has been in many years, Sheila Hancock was excellent. I would have liked to hear a bit more from Julian Clary who played a genie but didn't have much to do.
This really was an excellent production, and I loved some of the small touches, like the different sounds for the whistle. The song at the end was excellent - hasnb't Sheila Hancock got a great sionging voice.
Matt Stronge should take a bow - that was a really top-class production.
They jkept mentioning 50 years - in fact we have just passed the 49th anniversary and have almost 12 months to the 50th. But if this production is a taste of what is to come to mark the 50 years, we are in for a lot of fun in the year ahead.
Trivia question for someone - who is the lovely West Indian man (I think) who often does continuity at JAM time and was announcing at the beginning and end of today's show? What a great voice!
The surprise to me was the involvement of Prince Charles. I can take and leave Royal messages for anniversaries, but I thought what he said was nice. He was the only person to reference the panellists of the past despite all the talk of 50 years of Just A Minute, and did so in a natural and interesting way.
The pantomime material was really well integrated with the "game" which was played between two teams, I assume because the fourth seat was changed between four guest panellists, Tony Hawks, Tom Allen, Rufus Hound and Pippa Evans. Gyles Brandreth wrote the panto material and was in top form, I thought.. Paul was as funny as he has been in many years, Sheila Hancock was excellent. I would have liked to hear a bit more from Julian Clary who played a genie but didn't have much to do.
This really was an excellent production, and I loved some of the small touches, like the different sounds for the whistle. The song at the end was excellent - hasnb't Sheila Hancock got a great sionging voice.
Matt Stronge should take a bow - that was a really top-class production.
They jkept mentioning 50 years - in fact we have just passed the 49th anniversary and have almost 12 months to the 50th. But if this production is a taste of what is to come to mark the 50 years, we are in for a lot of fun in the year ahead.
Trivia question for someone - who is the lovely West Indian man (I think) who often does continuity at JAM time and was announcing at the beginning and end of today's show? What a great voice!
posted by Dean | 7:52 am
3 Comments:
The CA's name is Neil Nunes.
And Paul Merton STILL can't sing!
===
Full credits from the BBC website:
Just A Minute was chaired by Nicholas Parsons
The panel were:
Paul Merton
Sheila Hancock
Gyles Brandreth
Tony Hawks
Tom Allen
Rufus Hound
Pippa Evans
The Genie was played by Julian Clary
The pantomime script was written by Gyles Brandreth with additional material by Paul Merton and Matt Stronge
The Composer was Susannah Pearson
The lyrics to 'All About You' were written by Jenny Laville
The Musical Director was Tim Sutton
The live band was:
Tim Sutton - Piano
Katie Punter - Flute/Alto Sax
Mark White - Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Tim Maple - Guitar
Tim Weller - Drums
Nick Allen - Cello
The Production Coordinator was Hayley Sterling
The Producer was Matt Stronge
Just A Minute was devised by Ian Messiter
Just A Minute Does Panto! is a BBC Studios production.
Paul did Kenneth's famous "I've come all the way from Great Portland Street!" rant, followed by more things Kenneth said courtesy of Sheila and an impression by Nicholas ("And that's the best Winston Churchill you'll hear this year!" - Paul)
Post a Comment
<< Home