Panto favourites Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Joe McElderry bring underwater magic to Theatre Royal stage with The Little Mermaid

Ah, the great British tradition of the pantomime. We all know it and love it (oh yes you do!).

It’s a comforting treat each Christmas to laugh along with the slapstick jokes, boo the villains - but only at the correct moments - and prepare to cheer as someone gets dragged up for some audience participation (shout out to the four little stars who did a great turn on Thursday evening!)

But how is it that Danny Adams, Clive Webb, Chris Hayward and Mick Potts - the long-reigning and beloved stars of the Theatre Royal pantomime - keep it feeling fresh year after year?

Well strap in and grab a snorkel because we’re heading underwater for this year’s show; The Little Mermaid - a new spectacular, following on from last year’s smash hit, Pinocchio. It marks the 19th year of theatre director, producer and writer Michael Harrison at the helm, and it was a new tale for the group to take on.

Off to Atlantis

You might think you know panto (I’ve certainly been to a few in my time) but the magic and sparkle that go into transporting a familiar theatre auditorium into the underwater kingdom of Atlantis are something truly spectacular and incomparable to any other festive show I’ve seen.

From the first flash-bang and opening number from the Sea Witch (Chris Hayward) and her eels Eileen and Elsie (Kylie Ann Ford, Christina Berriman Dawson) it was hit after hit - and laugh after laugh.

Newcastle’s longest-serving dame, Chris Hayward is a Christmas treat every single year. Gone were the bonny bairns; it was all boos and hisses as Hayward took on the role of the lifetime as the evil Sea Witch, out to rob niece Ariel of her voice as she yearned for a life with handsome Prince Eric on land.

A classic tale as old as time, featuring those well-known (ahem) characters of Danny Crabstix, Clive Cod and Fishy Dishy (Joe McElderry).

Joe has been a great addition to the cast in recent years; a perfect sparring partner for Danny and a package of singing delights for the guests. As much as we joke, we really want to hear you sing again, Joe! It’s a cast packed full of stars, and I wish I could give equal column inches to them all.

Five rubber rings

While audiences do want to see something new on a trip to the theatre, there’s something special about feeling ‘in the gang’ when you recognise the call-backs you’ve come to know and love down the years.

I never tire of hearing the annual panto version of The Twelve Days of Christmas - this year, complete with five rubber rings, rather than five golden rings - and I always thank my lucky stars that I’m not sitting at the front of the stalls when the water pistols and foam make an appearance!

To me, these set plays are a much-loved part of the festive season; I can’t have my first mince pie until we’ve all had a laugh along with Danny’s nervous titter or joined in with ‘accident’. There are always whoops and wolf-whistles aplenty for the cast’s eye candy Mick Potts (if you know, you know). And the jokes are no less charming for first-time visitors to this theatre’s pantomime.

The magic that Michael Harrison, Danny, Clive, Joe and co put together each year make the perfect pantomime potion - something so deliciously heartwarming and family-friendly that it could stop the evil Sea Witch right in her tracks!

Don’t miss it - and if you’re thinking ahead for 2025’s festive season, next year’s production of Aladdin is already taking bookings. It will be Danny and Clive’s 20th pantomime at Theatre Royal, and promises to be something special.

The Little Mermaid is at Theatre Royal, Newcastle, until Sunday, January 12.