'Fun and frolics in ever popular Mother Goose' – Our review of 'witty and enjoyable' pantomime

The ever-popular Harlequin Panto Productions cast is taking to the stage at Perton Civic Centre this week, with their production of Mother Goose.

Mother Goose is an all-round good “egg” with every traditional aspect of this British, unique art form to delight kids and adults alike, and is the perfect vehicle for amateur performers.

Down at heel Mother Goose is struggling to keep her head above water, thanks to the evil, money-grabbing Squire, but then when she finds a goose who lays golden eggs, is this the lucky “break” she needs?

Veteran pantomime Dame, Paul Bowman from Wolverhampton hit the ground running the title role, bringing fun and frolics to the proceedings, with a wardrobe to die for, wonderfully whacky wigs, a selection of different bras (you need to see the panto to understand!) and his very own brand of humour.

David Ball from Perton was suitably horrible as The Squire, Maximillian Moneybags, inciting plenty of boos and hisses from the audience, yet his acting skills and personality ensured that like all good villains, everyone warmed to him as the panto progressed.

There was a witty, enjoyable performance from Emily Cox as The Queen and Natalie Maynard was the perfect fairy figure, in this case, Fairy Friendship, with a delightfully ethereal aura and an outstanding vocal performance.

Ellie Farmer is evil personified as Demon Discontent and her Thriller number at the opening of Act Two is one to watch. Determined to win Panto Baddie of the Year, she gave it her all including a good comedy performance too.

Panto just isn’t panto without a couple of crazy comedians; enter Matt Wirtz as Ben Bogtrotter and the very brave Dave Callaghan as Bill Bumpkin who soldiered on throughout the show with severe back pain. In am dram there are no understudies, so the show must go on. Well done, Dave! Together, their slapstick antics made the kids scream with laughter!

Alex Jeffreys provided all the romance of the handsome hero Colin, making the Mums in the audience swoon and heave a sigh of approval, while Meghan Taber was sassy and cute as his love interest Jill, and together they vocally romped through a variety of popular tunes with ease.

Dawn Corfield gave an outstanding performance as Priscilla the Goose; it’s not easy to play a non-human in a complex costume, but she was so endearing and funny, not to mention an excellent tap dancer too, you just had to love her.

Everyone gave it their all, but the evening really belonged to James Collins, as Silly Billy, who brought the whole show together. His comedic skills and general clowning around stole the show, and his timing, delivery and characterisation were “eggceptional!”

A charming, hard-working group of dancers and ensemble members made the piece their very own, bringing the magic of pantomime to life. Highlights included “We’re in the Money,” “Shake Your Tail Feather,” and “Fabulous Baby.”

Musical Director Rob Murray and his small but incredibly talented band should be commended for raising the roof. Never overlook the musicians’ guys! They are the linchpin of any show.

Overall, another solid performance from this well-established group and the perfect tonic for a cold evening in January.

Look out for details of next year’s panto, Sleeping Beauty too.

Mother Goose runs until January 21st. For tickets, email harlequinpantoproductions@gmail.com or call 07766402804.