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A fever dream of cultural references, spunky original songs and dangerously funny gags, Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell is a gold-plated pantotastic love letter to Glasgow primed to entertain this Christmas.
Johnny McKnight is the inspired mastermind behind this panto’s success. He writes, directs and stars in it but it’s the whole team that execute his vision so perfectly, in a super-concentrated dose of festive fun.
In McKnight’s reimagining of JM Barrie’s classic, the thigh-slapping laddie who never grows up (Star Penders) is chummed by the outrageous flamboyant flatulent fairy Stinkerbell (McKnight).
Not many fairies are bold enough (or brave enough) to slut-drop in a thong in the gaze of hundreds of people. Then again, Stinkerbell is no ordinary fairy.
As Peter whisks the brilliantly overly-dramatic and unusually empowered West End Wendy (Emma Mullen) away from the plush comforts of Waitrose and panto’s sassiest dog Nana (Marc MacKinnon), the gang face the ultimate panto baddie – the deliciously evil Hook (Robert Jack) and his hilariously hapless sidekick Anita Wee-Wee (Katie Barnett).
With adventure firmly in the air, the show sails along at a rate of knots on a whirlwind adventure that will delight old and young alike. Ross Brown’s freshly-penned score is more infectious than a walk around the Royal and the tale is firmly set in the city that houses the iconic Tron.
What really elevates this panto above others is the electric tension between the cast and their audience. Nobody is safe against McKnight’s razor-sharp observations – from Michelle Mone to the Southside and the National Theatre of Scotland, nobody is safe.
Spare a special thought for the middle aged man sitting in the front row, but all should take cover in this immersive and engaging panto that sees the fourth wall as a target, not a barrier.
Despite its reverence to the tradition, McKnight’s panto offering is unapologetically its own. This gender-bending, system-offending panto screams joy from the top of its lungs.
Absolutely everything in this production is cranked up to 11. Kenny Miller’s fabulous set is a glitter-laden spectacle that dazzles, this tiny troupe of actors doesn’t miss a beat and McKnight’s razor-sharp script punches up with more might than Jim Watt.
The glitter, the colour and the laughs are endless. McKnight’s subversive pantosphere is very likely the funniest thing on stage in Scotland this year.
Peter Panto and the Incredible Stinkerbell at Tron Theatre, Glasgow until 5th January 2025
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Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
