Christmas is a time of year rich in tradition, and for the past five years my wife and I have had a very Norfolky one of our own.
Come late November we laugh, applaud, gasp in wonder and occasionally groan at the gags, songs, dance routines and magic tricks of Cromer Pier Christmas Show.
It never fails to get us in the festive spirit and this year’s edition - once again compered by the brilliant Olly Day - was no exception.
Olly keeps the one-liners coming thick and fast and he has an amazing knack of making the audience feel a part of the show - sometimes literally, as when he called up an unsuspecting lady called Jo from the third row to star in a magic card routine.
Another familiar figure is Rob McVeigh, who takes the mantle of lead vocalist and also directs the entire show.
Saxophonist Chloe Edwards-Wood also returns to give a jazzy tone to many of the songs, while show newcomer Avalon Lilly belts out numbers such as Angels and Miracles as the lead female vocalist.
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The ensemble led by dance captain Georgia Phelps goes through an amazing range of transformations, forming the backbone of acts spanning everything from Dickensian London to a fantasy Candy Cane land.
Other returnees to the line-up include illusionist duo Amethyst made up of Danny Hunt and Stephanie Clarke.
The pair perform their own segments including a magic box routine which seemingly swallows Stephanie. But they also get to show off their skills by taking part in other acts.
Danny and Olly are hilarious together, and their tongue-twisting segment A Pleasant Pheasant Plucker is one of the highlights of the show, as is their unexpected addition to a Swan Lake ballet dance.
It’s another excellent production, and if you’ve never been before, it’s well worth starting your own Christmas tradition of heading down to Cromer Pier.
Runs until December 30.
Review by Stuart Anderson
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