This is our review of The Scouse Red Riding Hood at Liverpool‘s Royal Court Theatre!
Synopsis Of The Scouse Red Riding Hood
It’s the Royal Court Christmas panto! And that means it’s time for a Scouse retelling of a classic fairy tale. So, we come to Lidlpool, and we meet Grandma Riding Hood, along with her new love interest Bob (The Builder). She’s happy enough, except that the city council reps Cash and Carry want to knock her cottage down. And worse still, they want to turn it into a car park, as if Lidlpool doesn’t have enough already!
Fortunately, Red Riding Hood, shortened to Red, and her friend Blue are on the case. Indeed, amidst rumours of wolves on the horizon, and the wicked Cash and Carry roaming around, they get to work. And as a way to stop the chaos, they plan to travel to the moon and paint it. But will that work as a solution, because Grandma and Billy are anxious about the fate of the cottage. And what exactly is in the magic potion that Cash and Carry create in the hope of poisoning Grandma?
Analysis Of The Scouse Red Riding Hood
It’s one of the wonderful Liverpool traditions for the Christmas season. You get the lights, the trees, the deccies, the carol singers, and the Royal Court panto. What makes this stand out is the continuous Scouse humour, from deliberately OTT accents to classic local references. Where else could the phrase “what’s happenin’ lad” get massive laughs?
Still, it also helps that we have a tremendous cast. Royal Court regulars Andrew Schofield, Lindzi Germain, and Keddy Sutton are, as ever, superb in their roles. I also found Liam Tobin hilarious with his understated one-liners and his willingness to send himself up throughout the evening. (Such as telling Blue “I’m dead proud of you lad” in the most Scouse twang imaginable.) But Chantel Cole stole the show with an exceptional rendition of One Moment In Time, the highlight of the night. Elsewhere, the sets find the right balance between seasonal and authentic. Just don’t look too closely when a toilet appears between scenes!
Summary Of The Scouse Red Riding Hood
You can never go wrong with the Royal Court’s celebration of Christmas. Because the show runs for two months, there is plenty of time to head along for festive fun. Make sure to sample some Christmas cheer and head along to a show that is proper boss lad!
