Writer: Eric Potts
Director: Kevin Shaw
Reviewers- Mr and Mrs Patrick. Phoebe (8) and Amanda (13).
Mother Goose is a pantomime I have never seen before and I
didn’t really know what to expect. As with all pantomimes, there is a poor family trying to make money to pay rent and survive when their lives change for the better or do they really????? Well of course it wouldn’t be as easy as all that due to it being the season of all silly shows, where men play women and women play men..
The Goose family have become rich due to Priscilla their adorable goose laying golden eggs up to 10 a day. When Mother Goose is given a choice by the evil Baron to hand over Priscilla in return for eternal youth and beauty, the real show begins.
Director Kevin Shaw has put together a show with amazing effect’s, everything in the story emanates a well directed, well rehearsed and well performed presentation, from the dances, the fighting and the acting. You can tell the actors have worked together before as they have great chemistry between them, so even when they forget their lines it doesn’t matter they just adlib which only adds to the comedy of the performance.
Celia Perkins makes a welcome return to the Coliseum as a freelance designer and has done an excellent job on the scenery and the costumes they were outstanding. The scenery although very basic was multi-coloured and served its purpose very well. It was appropriately used during the show, with scenery changes taking place so smoothly they did not detract from the acting on the stage. The Dames dresses are always over the top in Pantos and they didn’t disappoint, with an all day breakfast dress, a Christmas tree frock and a Golden egg gown to name just a few. All of the costumes in the show are well made and really vibrant and Celia should be proud of this.
The musical director Dave Bintley and the Choreographer Beverley Edmunds have put together a fabulous set of songs and dances. With the songs making the audience want to sing along. The songs were up to date with Bad Boys by Alexandra Burke even making it in to the routine.
It would be unfair to pick out a particular member of the cast for outstanding performance as they all work extremely hard during the show and never once leave you feeling like they should get off the stage. Andonis Anthony who plays the Baron of Rochdalia is excellent and for the adults who watch him it is very comical in the way he portrays the evil Man in such a camp manner, thus making his character all the more entertaining.
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Patrick Bridgman and Linzi Matthews played the parts of Squire Squander, King of Goose Land and Fairy Feathers and Priscilla respectively. Although these two actors played the smaller parts in the show they both deserve credit for their performance, I was amazed by Linzi’s singing, as Fairy Feathers she only gets to sing one solo during the show yet with her talent she should really be given more.
Mother Goose played by Fine Time Fontane and Billy Goose played by Richard J Fletcher are two of the most outstanding performers on stage, they interact with each other perfectly and with the audience as well. Amanda’s favourite part was the fighting scene as it was very realistic and very well directed by Renny Krupinski. Phoebe enjoyed the singing and dancing the most and especially loved seeing the new dresses Mother Goose kept
appearing in.This is a Panto that is really worth seeing. My family went last year to watch Aladdin and enjoyed that also. Considering there are no A list celebrities in this cast they do their job just as good as any all name cast can do if not better. We did a 100 mile round trip to see this panto and it was worth it! This show is amazing for all ages to see, the joking, the singing and the fighting are great for all ages. So if you don’t have the money this year to watch a 'Star Studded' pantomime (why would you?) then get yourself to The Oldham Coliseum and watch Mother Goose I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Photos: Ian Tilton
Runs until Sat 9th Jan 2010
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