Qdos Wins Olivier Panto Award

This year’s Olivier award for Best Entertainment & Family production went to the Qdos London Palladium pantomime, “Dick Whittington”.

 

The Ensemble with Gary Wilmot, Charlie Stemp and Emma Williams in “Dick Whittington” 2017-2018 Pantomime

 

Nick Thomas, Chairman of Qdos and Michael Harrison, Managing Director of Pantomimes received the award at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday evening. Michael Harrison said “Winning the Olivier Award signalled recognition from the West End theatre industry that Pantomime could be “Something special”.

 

Nick Thomas & Michael Harrison

Nick Thomas added it was important to celebrate the genre vecause pantomime is normally a child’s first experience of theatre.

Two years ago Qdos revived the Palladium tradition for being the home of West End Pantomime. Prior to their first panto- “Cinderella” the last panto to be seen at this venue was “Babes In The Wood” with John Inman and  Barbara Windsor leading the company.

This panto, Dick Whittington brought back Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers, adding the West End Queen of Musicals, Elaine Paige as Queen Rat, Gary Wilmot as Sarah The Cook and the stars of “Half A Sixpence” Charlie Stemp and Emma Williams as Dick and Alice.

Huge congratulations to the production team, The creatives encompassing costume design and execution, musical arrangements and composition, lighting, effects, sound, direction, choreography, casting, and of course the cast of this fabulous panto at the London Palladium.

This award for Pantomime has proved it is not the poor relation of The Arts, and that it is a vital and ever evolving art form unique to the British Isles! Hoorah for Panto!

Here on the IBY site we have articles on the history of those Palladium Pantomimes of the past- In Articles: The Palladium Pantomimes,

http://www.its-behind-you.com/palladium.html

And our recent Spotlight on Gary Wilmot.https://ibygreenroom.wordpress.com/2017/11/24/spotlight-on-gary-wilmot/

 

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