Mother Goose

Mother Goose is unusual in that the key role of the Dame  has more depth than other Pantomime Dame roles.   To this end it is most important to cast someone who can convincingly play a more nuanced  than usual Dame.   In Ziggi Szafranski, TOPs  have  a highly talented actor  quite capable of  portraying  pride, pathos, vanity, remorse as well as the obvious over the top silliness  and huge charisma required for Mother Goose.   As her idiot son Silly Billy, Sophie MacTavish shone as the lovable but daft children's friend, moving well throughout the show.

Opening the show as the Demon of Discontent were Richard Peachey and Janette White as Fairy Snowdrop.   This scene setting of Good versus Evil, is at the beating heart of all pantos and both Richard and Janette carried charisma aplenty with good diction and believability. They were both beautifully cast and got the utmost from both roles.   I was somewhat surprised though how small the fairy's wand looked.

As nasty Squire Moneybags,  Jonathan Tull harassed Mother Goose for the rent and  was suitably mean.   He played this horrible character with great skill.  Ben and Jerry , the comic and incompetent duo were two well pitched contrasting characters. Chris Bassett and  Steve Bedford respectively, milked their comic scenes for every drop of comedy and were highly amusing. 

Tom played by Carly Thompson and his sweetheart Mary played by Katie Bartholomew made a  well matched couple, Mary having Lana the Lamb by her side. Lana was very cute  and played by Sophie Moss, moving and dancing skilfully.  Tom finally defeating the Demon was true panto at it's finest.

Naturally the skin parts in pantomime are a big hit with the children and Priscilla the Goose, laying golden eggs was no exception. Izzy Boorman as Priscilla had the "aaah" factor right through the show and when she was sold  the sadness in the younger audience was quite moving.    The  golden rugby ball eggs amusingly "bounced" onto stage  made me smile, along with the squawking -or should that be honking- done by Priscilla.   Skin parts are very difficult to play well and it was great credit to Izzy how Priscilla moved and acted with obvious emotional power.

 Paul Whenham and Amanda Stronge did well as Duke and Duchess, while Kay Sandford-Beal was a stern and dominant  Queen of Goose Land, finally agreeing to pardon the errant Dame for her venture into vanity.    The scene when Mother Goose repented her vanity was extremely powerful in this production.   Steven Fanis was a realistic servant and the chorus all acquitted themselves with some distinction.

Dancing and choreography was of a high order with some well worked routines.   I especially liked Nine to Five,  Tap Dance,  Thriller,  Dance of the Lake,  Dance of the Goslings with all the juniors and the fizzy and upbeat Act Two Finale.   There was  some good singing, in particular from Ziggi, Chris and the Four Gospel Singers.

The vital songsheet scene was handled extremely well with many children on stage and the  choice of  Goosey  Goosey  Goosey   Lay a Little Egg for me well chosen.   This is always a most important and well loved scene in any panto and done well, as it certainly was here, adds greatly to the audience's and especially the chosen children's enjoyment.

I  thought the costumes were very special, with the bright colours and fresh and well laundered looking costumes  well above the usual amateur panto standard.    Elizabeth Callow, well assisted by Sally Dallosso and Catherine Webber are highly painstaking costumiers,  well known and used at The Barn in many productions and OOS  must surely be well aware how fortunate they are to have this expertise on hand.    The Dames costumes were sensational, as were most of the other characters as well.

I would also commend Stephanie Hornett-Johnson for hair, wigs and make up  which matched the costumes standard.    The Demons face make up was  spectacularly well done, I thought!

Set design and construction was another plus;  clearly much thought and hard work had gone into  this.    Mother Goose's kitchen was a major plus and the effect of the Glistening Lake with rather skilful lighting under Richard Grogan was wonderfully done.

So to the highly professional production team:  Director David Morgan,  assisted by Chris Bassett,   Musical Director Jamie Cordell and Choreographer Kerry Brackpool.    I cannot praise their sterling efforts and great attention to detail highly enough.   It is very clear that they all had spent many , many long hours plotting this show and drilling this talented company and the  end result  highly impressed this panto loving reviewer.   Take a bow Oxted Players!

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