The Hexagon

Saturday, December 8 to Sunday, January 6

This year's Reading panto stars wide-eyed and legless Richard Willis as the principal boy, with Rob Wilson playing the evil Baron Von Tory, in a traditional retelling of the family favourite, Rik and the Beanstalk.

Rik finds his job in danger from the evil Baron after eating a few too many gingerbread men and drinking sour milk, leading to the town crier blurting out the news that Rik was a big fan of the old woman who lived in a shoe and that he fully endorsed her policy of whipping her majority population and putting them to bed. The crowd joins in with: "He's Behind You, Rik!" "Oh no, I'm not," replies Baron Tory, "Retract that statement now or your fired!"

Panto veteran Jo Lovelock will be appearing in the role she made her own - Buttercup the Cow. Rik takes her to market to sell, but instead is tricked by nasty Tricia Haines into handing her over to Peter Brett Associates and assorted property developers for a tin of baked beans, before Tricia disappears in a puff of smoke never to be seen again.

Rik's journey up the beanstalk is delayed by an independent traffic commission, but he eventually reaches cloud cuckoo land courtesy of his own plans and is faced by a rampaging dwarf giant 'Blunderbore' here played by David Sutton, with his repetitive catchphrase: "Fi Fi Fo Fum, I smell the blood of a racist Englishman." The giant's sidekick Fleshcreep, ably played by Tony Page, briefly threatens to do away with him. In the final scene, the electorate defeat the giant and the town lives unhappily ever after.

Light relief is provided by Dobbin the pantomime horse with Anneliese Dodds playing the arse-end following blindly everywhere that Martin Salter, once again playing the front end, leads her. Don't miss a cameo performance by Gareth Epps. He has no lines, but that's because he's rolling around on the floor laughing too much to say anything.