The Stage

Humpty Dumpty

Published Monday 14 December 2009 at 12:15 by Kevin Berry

What were you doing, dear reader, at Christmas 31 years ago? Well, that was when Berwick Kaler began his long unbroken run as Dame at York Theatre Royal.

The York public loves him. His pantomimes are celebratory affairs: familiar faces on stage, knowing banter, mock insults and in- jokes that even someone new to a Kaler panto will smile at.

This year’s plot is not exactly chaotic but it does take some audacious leaps. Snow White has seven penguins, the Spartan army goes to battle in a double-decker bus, a villain (the splendid David Leonard) disguises himself, very convincingly, as almost every other character in the story. Honestly, it all makes perfect panto sense.

Kaler gives what is his personal panto rep company plenty of opportunities to shine. His confrontations with Leonard are legendary. There cannot be a more accomplished villain in Pantoland. Playing Humpty Dumpty, a short-trousered schoolboy in this version, is AJ Powell. He is a relative newcomer with growing appeal and he is possessed of a glorious “Yeow’ll be sorry” Brummie accent.

There is fun all the way and Martin Barrass in his simpleton role, as is usual, gets well and truly wet. It is all exactly what York audiences have come to expect.