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POTTED PANTO – Vaudeville Theatre: 18 December – 8 January

POTTED PANTO
Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London, WC2R 0NH

CBBC's Dan and Jeff return for a second festive season of Potted Panto, following a Best Entertainment nomination in the Olivier Awards and a West End run of their original show Potted Potter. For Christmas 2011, Potted Panto features eight classic pantomimes in just eighty minutes. That’s one whole panto more than last year, with tickets frozen at 2010 prices.

Like a fine Christmas gravy, Dan and Jeff have seasoned, simmered and reduced the best ingredients of the nation’s favourite festive shows into one neatly gift-wrapped package. In a dash through the biggest stories and best-loved characters from panto, our dastardly double act career through Cinderella in 3D including a cameo from the first ever Fairy-Godchicken to grace a West End stage. They dazzle with a Dick Whittington featuring Jeff as the Mayor of London: blond, posh and receiving just the treatment he deserves (with a large mallet and a custard pie). An astonishing new take on Jeff’s favourite panto Aladdin gives the story a whole new twist, and Daisy the Cow from Jack and The Beanstalk gives a heart-rending turn as she’s led to market. Not to mention the full-scale versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty which see Dan and Jeff trying to work out not only how two people can play seven dwarves, but also which of them will make the prettiest princess. From conventions and costume to heroes and villains, the dastardly double act explore all the elements of the art form we both love and loathe as a nation.

Potted Panto premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in summer 2010, proving Christmas could come soon enough with the sell-out crowds and wide-spread acclaim. It played Christmas at the Vaudeville last year and toured nationally. This year the show will also feature an eighth pantomime, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, which was decided by public vote from a shortlist drawn up by Dan and Jeff.

Now best-known as CBBC presenters, Dan and Jeff have been bringing the best in family entertainment to London, the nation and Edinburgh Fringe since 2006 – enjoying seven sell-out runs across five Edinburgh seasons. Their first show Potted Potter saw them win widespread acclaim and a fan base that crossed three generations. It played four sell-out Fringe seasons, three sell-out London seasons and extensive national and international touring. In 2008 they premiered their second show, Potted Pirates, which followed a similar stellar path and still tours. The pair have also made storytelling appearances on Blue Peter and Big Brother’s Little Brother.

Director and co-writer Richard Hurst directed Potted Potter and joined the writing team for Potted Pirates in 2008. His other work as a writer and director includes Bill Hicks: Slight Return and Jan Ravens: A Funny Look At Impressions. Other recent work as a writer for TV includes Secret Diary Of A Call Girl (ITV2, Showtime); and, as a co-writer, Miranda (BBC2).

Join Dan and Jeff for a spectacular, silly and splendid celebration of a truly great British theatre tradition and enjoy eight shows for the price of one this Christmas!

Written by Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner and Richard Hurst.
Performed by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner
Directed by Richard Hurst
Designed by Simon Scullion and Helen Stewart

Potted Panto plays at the Vaudeville Theatre from Sunday 18 December 2011 to Sunday 8 January. Tickets priced from £15 to £30 from www.nimaxtheatres.com

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