The Jewish community gets its first ever panto – and any goy will enjoy it too!

Panto has long been a staple of the Christmas season, but what of Hanukkah? JW3 has just the ticket! The north London Jewish cultural centre has not only put on a cracker of a show (running until early January, including Christmas Day), but vowed to do so every year now.

It’s no surprise that the would-be nemesis of Red, her mum and nana is a big bad pig rather than a wolf. Scriptwriter Nick Cassenbaum has nailed the story’s every twist, turn and linguistic joke, turning it into comic gold, with Abi Anderson’s sprightly direction. In fact, Lauren Silver’s almost cuddly Wolf is, if anything, bent on being Red Hoodman’s female bestie and confidante – plus she’s vegan.

There is of course a cross-dressing Dame-type Bubbah (grandma), played with stunning, tumbling panache by Tiago Fonseca (his backflips and somersaults in and out of the wings are particularly breathtaking). This is actually the story of three generations of women. The magnificent Debbie Chazen plays Mother Hoodman, a curvaceous ‘Dame’ with an extraordinary appetite and sweet tooth. She is at odds with her own topsy-turvy tumbling mum, Bubbah, but she’s proud of her brainy scientist daughter Red, living up to her name in scarlet-hooded puffa jacket as she negotiates the stage with her latest breakthrough invention – the energy detector – a novel take on the metal detector. Gemma Barnett’s resourceful Red is actually ‘green’, determined to make a difference (and a name for herself) by discovering new sources of renewable energy, while her mum is equally anxious to see her settle down with the proverbial nice Jewish boy.

Josh Glanc’s Pig is neither nice nor Jewish, but he sure is good at being bad. He looks and acts the part of the unapologetic, unscrupulous entrepreneur to perfection; expensively and nattily dressed, putting his feet up on his desk. Making it clear he’ll stop at nothing to cash in on the search for renewables, he is the natural antithesis of Red. He literally sniffs out a unique source of energy emanating from Mother Hoodman. All those sweet and savoury staples of Jewish cuisine, from latkes (potato pancakes) to jammy Hanukkah doughnuts, produces a flatulence that (literally) blows him away. All he has to do is harness Mother Hoodman’s wind and he’s onto a mega moneymaker. So the fight is on and the laughs come thick and fast.

There’s a classic ‘behind you’ chase featuring Red, Wolf and a traditional white-sheeted ghost, plus enthusiastic participation from a family audience, ranging from tinies to bubbahs, climaxing with the lusty bawling of “Smelly bum bum bum” (to the tune of the William Tell Overture). And, in best panto tradition, there’s even a puppet character – Ratticus the Rat Cab Driver, ready to offer his services and outsmart the Uber drivers.

Becky-Dee Trevenen’s set and costumes are a riotous combo of seasonal glitz and homely granny nightwear, exuberantly clashing colours, styles, patterns and over-the-top wigs. The music is a glorious tribute to the genius of Jewish composers, from klezmer to Hollywood via Lionel Bart, played by a stunning trio featuring MD Josh Middleton, Annie Lowenstein and Maxie Cheer on keys, accordion, strings (fiddle and guitar) and percussion.

I think this is just what we need to bring us together in the current devastating and precarious times. Oh yes it is!

By Judi Herman

Photos by ©Jane Hobson

Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Pig runs until Sunday 7 January. Times vary. £24/£28, £15/£18 children. JW3, NW3 6ET. jw3.org.uk/panto