Going to see a pantomime around Christmas time has become one of our most favourite family traditions and yet again the Weymouth Panto didn’t disappoint.

Dick Whittington is everything a panto should be with a talented cast, glitzy and outrageous costumes, toe-tapping songs, audience participation and side splitting gags. 

The rags to riches story starts in London Town where we meet Dick and learn all about the infestation of giant rats.  Alice and her Dad have also recently travelled to London and with Dick’s new friend, Alan the cat, they hatch a plan to rid the infestation.  Of course every panto has to have a baddie and the evil Queen Rat does her very best to ruin everyone’s plans whilst the lovely Fairy is one step ahead.  The story takes them on a big adventure full of songs, jokes and dancing before the good guys save the day and live happily ever after.

This years Dame is played by Chay Aton and he does a brilliant job as Sarah the Cook.  He had us all in stitches throughout the show and wore the most bonkers costumes I’ve seen to date including a bikini costume and a tub of popcorn!  We were thrilled to see that Gwynfren West was back for another year and this time he was playing Idle Jack.  Gwynfren rarely needs to say anything and he has us laughing already and the scenes with him and Sarah the Cook will have you in hysterics.  

I find it very difficult to write about a show like this as I want to mention all the funny scenes but surely it ruins it for the reader?  One of the things I enjoy the most is not knowing what will happen next but I will say that my favourite scenes involved pudding, a wonky galley and a difficult translation between the Scottish and Welsh actors.

I'd thoroughly recommend you take the family as it’s hilariously funny, hugely entertaining and fabulously festive.  After the show I asked my 6 year old son what he thought of it and he said it was the best one he’d seen.  

Dick Whittington is on at the Weymouth Pavilion until Saturday 5 January 2019.  For dates and times including the grown ups only night and a muck up matinee, please visit the Website: https://weymouthpavilion.com/event/Dick-Whittington/

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Father Christmas is back in his twinkly woodland cabin and he’s ready to welcome all the children big and small.

We were invited to a late afternoon preview and arrived early so we could enjoy the park for a few hours beforehand.   Our children always love running into each zone to see all the different fish and sea creatures but it didn’t take them long to remember the amazing Caribbean Cove play area so we grabbed a cuppa and went in so they could have a good play.

Before I knew it, it was almost our time to visit Father Christmas and so we trotted off to the Reindeer Stable waiting area which has hay bales to rest your feet, blankets to keep warm and pretty fairy lights up in the rafters.  The kids loved feeding the birds at the Wetlands whilst looking over to the cabin on the other side for signs of any movement. 

All of a sudden 2 jolly elves started walking towards us and our son Sam was ecstatic.  Watching one of the elves duck down to hide from him was adorable and by the time they got to us he was bouncing around with excitement. 

The lovely elves greeted us and asked if we had our golden ticket which was given when we came in and then stopped to ask Sam and little Lucy who they had come to see.  We went with them down the path, stopping for a festive family picture with reindeer and a sleigh behind us and then went onto the cabin.

Before going in, the elves took Sam (Lucy was being too shy and clung to Daddy) over to a large lantern which was set between lots of tall Christmas trees.  They asked Sam what he wanted for Christmas and then the elves told him that they would make a magic wish together.  Sam was completely caught up in the moment and when the magic was complete it started to snow over his head!

Sam was then invited to knock on the door and Father Christmas called for him to come in.  I was very pleased to see it was the same Father Christmas as last time as he looks incredibly genuine with his kind manner and real snowy beard.  Sam sat next to Father Christmas whereas Lucy still wasn’t sure so an elf pulled a rocker near and she happily sat there listing to the conversation about presents, chimneys and mince pies.

We had a nice family photo taken by an elf which we could of purchased from the gift shop if we wished and then the children were given a SEA LIFE present which the kids played with non stop when we left.

Father Christmas will be at the Weymouth SEA LIFE from Saturday 8 December up until Sunday 23 December.  In addition to the Grotto visit, children will be able to enjoy the Christmas Craft Zone where they can colour in their own Christmas tree decoration, make reindeer food or write to Father Christmas.  For more information, please visit the SEA LIFE Weymouth Website.

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