British Comedy Guide
Panto!. Image shows left to right: Tamsin Taylor (Sheridan Smith), Lewis Loud (John Bishop). Credit: Baby Cow Productions, Lola Entertainment
Panto!

Panto!

  • TV comedy drama
  • ITV1
  • 2012
  • 1 episode

Comedy drama about life behind the scenes at a local theatre's Christmas pantomime production. Created by John Bishop. Stars John Bishop, Ami Metcalf, Samantha Spiro, Lisa Jackson, Kaye Wragg and more.

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Panto!. Lewis Loud (John Bishop). Credit: Baby Cow Productions, Lola Entertainment

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2012
Channel
ITV1
Episodes
1
Stars
John Bishop, Ami Metcalf, Samantha Spiro, Lisa Jackson, Kaye Wragg, Sheridan Smith, Michael Cochrane, Mark Benton and more
Writers
John Bishop, Jonathan Harvey and Jim Reid
Director
Christine Gernon
Producers
John Rushton, John Bishop, Lisa Thomas, Lindsay Hughes and Henry Normal
Companies

It's the first night of pantomime Dick Whittington at the Grand Theatre Lancaster. Lewis Loud, Morecambe FM's cheeky DJ, is preparing for his stage debut as Jack the Lad. During rehearsals, romance has blossomed between him and Dick Whittington, namely token celebrity Tamsin, better know to her fans as 'Mad Mindy The Axe Murderer' from the nation's favourite soap.

A full dress rehearsal has been called and tensions are beginning to show. Producer Di is keen for the show to be a success - it's a tough job doing regional theatre and, by taking the part of the fairy, she is anxious to realise her lofty ambitions. Director Francis tries valiantly to pull the show together in spite of Di's constant interfering.

When Lewis's son, Paul is unexpectedly delivered to the stage door by ex-wife Gina, Lewis realises he must take his fatherly duties seriously. Not easy when you're surrounded by chaos and egos, most notably faded theatrical actor Johnny Darby doing a reluctant turn as a pantomime dame, Di's nervous daughter Chantelle, the woefully miscast love interest of Dick, and a very accident prone Chesney Hawkes, desperately trying to prove he has more to his musical repertoire than The One and Only.

The dress rehearsal proves to be disastrous, but this is nothing compared to the bombshell delivered during the performance when Tamsin decides to leave at the interval. Maybe a curmudgeonly dwarf playing Tickles the cat could come to the rescue?

Additional details

Production
Studio
Picture
Colour
Soundtrack
End title music Aeroplane, written and performed by Chesney Hawkes.

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Thursday 27th December 2012 at 9pm on ITV1
Episode length
90 minutes
All previous repeats
  • Monday 23rd December 2013 at 10:20pm on ITV1

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