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King’s theatre, EdinburghThis year’s edition of the annual King’s panto is a slickly timed, high-spirited affair stuffed with daft jokes, and a moving tribute to the late company member Andy GrayAfter what happened this year, you could have forgiven the team behind the King’s panto if they had had a wobble. The death of Andy Gray from coronavirus in January at the age of 61 was not only a personal loss for his fellow actors Allan Stewart and Grant Stott but also the end of a longstanding panto institution. The triple act of Stewart, the dame, Stott, the baddie, and Gray, the clown, reigned supreme here for the best part of two decades.The audience knows this too. The most moving moment of Sleeping Beauty comes when the lead actors pay tribute to “King Andy”, a man who, like a benign theatrical ghost, has the power even now to give the show a happy ending. The moment earns the most sustained applause of the night. Continue reading...