For a variety oif reasons, my enthusiasm for Just Minute has cooled a
bit recently. But the Just A Minute panto was absolutely excellent, one
of the best editions of the show ever.
The surprise to
me was the involvement of Prince Charles. I can take and leave Royal
messages for anniversaries, but I thought what he said was nice. He was
the only person to reference the panellists of the past despite all the
talk of 50 years of Just A Minute, and did so in a natural and
interesting way.
The pantomime material was really well
integrated with the "game" which was played between two teams, I assume
because the fourth seat was changed between four guest panellists, Tony
Hawks, Tom Allen, Rufus Hound and Pippa Evans. Gyles Brandreth wrote
the panto material and was in top form, I thought.. Paul was as funny as
he has been in many years, Sheila Hancock was excellent. I would have
liked to hear a bit more from Julian Clary who played a genie but didn't
have much to do.
This really was an excellent
production, and I loved some of the small touches, like the different
sounds for the whistle. The song at the end was excellent - hasnb't
Sheila Hancock got a great sionging voice.
Matt Stronge should take a bow - that was a really top-class production.
They
jkept mentioning 50 years - in fact we have just passed the 49th
anniversary and have almost 12 months to the 50th. But if this
production is a taste of what is to come to mark the 50 years, we are in
for a lot of fun in the year ahead.
Trivia question
for someone - who is the lovely West Indian man (I think) who often does
continuity at JAM time and was announcing at the beginning and end of
today's show? What a great voice!