Dick Whittington - Another Dick in City Hall
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
PETER Kosta directs Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper’s Dick Whittington – Another Dick in City Hall at London’s Above the Stag Theatre – from December 1 to December 20, 2009.
Described as a sweetly filthy show, Dick Whittington – Another Dick in City Hall gives a contemporary twist to the legend.
London needs a mayor. It gets a dizzy queen. Like many a gay boy before him, Dick heads for the bright lights of London. But the streets aren’t paved with gold, just chewing gum and P45s. The city’s gone to the dogs. Or rather the rats…
Dick must fight his nemesis Alderman Rat – an expenses-fiddling politician, a ruthless landlord, and a corrupt banker who has single-handedly brought the economy of Gran Canaria to its knees. He wants to do the same in London and only Dick can save the city.
However, Dick finds help – and romance – in the form of Henry Regatta, a sexy, handsome and famous young rower who is a 2012 Olympic hopeful.
Dick Whittington – Another Dick in City Hall features all the usual pantomime fun: two dames, a petulant pussy, an inept fairy, and plenty of “he’s-behind-you”s.
Talking about the show, Jon Bradfield, said, “It’s adult in both senses. It’s really quite filthy, but we hope it’s also “adult” in that it has proper, rounded characters, a thoughtful love story and is set in a fantasy version of today’s London. We’ve got all the traditional panto elements whilst giving it a very modern day feel – and of course the love story is gay.”
Bradfield and Hooper’s other work includes Gay School Musical which played a sell-out short run at Above the Stag Theatre in July.
You might also be interested to know that the real Richard Whittington was Mayor of London four times (not three as in the legend). A very successful cloth merchant, providing fine cloth to the upper classes, he was also a major philanthropist – he funded schools, hospitals and London’s largest public lavatory, and a charitable fund in his name still operates today.
Tickets: £12 (£9 first week).
Times: Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Sunday at 6.30pm.
For more information call the box office on 020 8932 4747 or visit the Website