Sir Ian McKellen may or may not be a real wizard, but he is certainly a knight in shining armour for theatre. Iāve seen many a Christmas pantomime, more recently Easter pantomimes, but never before a pantomime that spanned both seasons, with no gap...
Itās been a tough week for Oldham Coliseum. Having been funded by Arts Council England for decades the 137-year-old theatre was unsuccessful in securing support for the coming year. The venue is one of only 32 regularly producing theatres in England...
Paul Thomason finds so much to enjoy in this traditional family pantomime Having been unable to stage this pantomime at Oldham Coliseum Theatre last year, the production team were clearly wanting to make up for lost time with the show and cast they...
āTo die would be an awfully big adventure,ā muses Peter Pan, uttering one of the most famous lines in J.M. Barrieās story. āDonāt talk daft!ā comes the abrupt Lancastrian rebuke from Christinaās Meehanās mermaid princess. Quite right, too! Peter Pan...
When it comes to family pantomime, Oldham Coliseum theatre has the magic formula to get kids immersed in the adventure and leaving on a high. When Fine Time Fontayne announced he was stepping out of the Dameās shoes last year it felt like a turning...
After 11 years as the loveable comic in Oldham Coliseumās family pantomime, Richard J Fletcher is stepping into the Dameās shoes for the first time. How does it feel to play the Dame and were the rehearsals much different as Dame instead of as the...
Nothing attracts like a dame, as popular joker, Richard J Fletcher gets ready to fill the high heels of Oldham Coliseum’s Fine Time Fontayne. After leading 11 Christmas shows at Oldham Coliseum, Fine Time Fontayne is hanging up his outrageous...
Cinderella gets a Manchester make-over at The Opera House this Christmas ā it’s all magic and sparkle mixed with attitude and northern humour. From Cinderellaās lively opening song about the theatre, the scene is firmly set in the city. And...
The Oldham Coliseum has set the bar high for family theatre during the festive season. Their Christmas show is always a fun-filled, traditional pantomime. But sticking to the traditions doesnāt mean sticking to the past, and it is this fusion of old...
The north westās favourite pantomime dame, Fine Time Fontayne returns for his 11th Christmas season at Oldham Coliseum. And this year heās joined by another of the theatreās much-loved faces, Sue Devaney as the Wicked Stepmother. Taking a break from...
Carmel Thomason
Paul Thomason
Martin Thomasson