THEATRE bosses in Manchester are being urged to BAN the Krankies for being too filthy.
A mum-of-two was shocked by the “sexualised” content of the Dick Whittington panto starring the famous Scottish twosome alongside Doctor Who star John Barrownman.
Natalie Wood told the Manchester Evening News that the veteran double act “crossed boundaries” and led to her young children playing with “a pretend penis throughout the evening”.
During the show Barrowman reportedly fondles the breasts of Wee Jimmy Krankie, played by Janette Tough. In another scene Wee Jimmy puts his hand down his shorts, sticks his finger through the front and waves it around.
"I have never been at a pantomime where I felt so uncomfortable," said Wood. "The whole show was very sexualised. John Barrowman sat Jimmy Krankie on his knee and started fondling her breasts. He then takes his hands off and she puts them back on again as if to say 'I was enjoying that'.
"We thought that was wrong being a female but the fact it was supposed to be a schoolboy, it was just a step too far."
The paper says she has since contacted the company behind the panto to complain and ask for the show to be stopped.
In her email to the show’s producers, she wrote: "Our family is disgusted with this production. It has ruined our annual Christmas panto outing and left us feeling uncomfortable and concerned about what the children were exposed to. We are far from prudes, but there has to be boundaries where children are concerned."
She added: "My children were repeating Alice loves Dick and sticking their fingers out of their trousers for a pretend penis throughout the evening. This is not acceptable and my children required far too much explaining about adult humour for a family show. Eleven of us are furious that the production was given the go ahead. Who is responsible for adult content in a child's performance? The show needs stopping."
A spokesman for pantomime producer Qdos Entertainment and the Manchester Opera House said: " In keeping with the tradition of pantomime, the script does make use of double entendre and part of that is a play on the names of the characters. None of the humour within the show is intended to cause offence of any kind and the enjoyment of our audiences is always paramount.
"We value all feedback we receive and the Qdos creative team regularly review all comments in order to inform the development of our shows, both currently on stage and scripts for the future. Qdos Entertainment are delighted to bring our production of Dick Whittington to Manchester Opera House. We have already received excellent audience feedback during the show’s previews and are looking forward to a great Christmas in the city.”
The Krankies have been approached for a comment.
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