WBLOS put on their seventh pantomime in 2011 and returned to the traditional with Mother Goose. The story of Mother Goose is possibly the oldest story to be turned into a pantomime, dating back to an ancient Greek legend about a goose that laid golden eggs. It is also one of the earliest pantomimes seen in Great Britain, nearly two hundred years ago.
The pantomime of “Mother Goose” as we know it today is not as old, being just 109! It has a strong moral - Beauty & Wealth cannot bring you happiness, and brings the human world and the magic world together in the form of a Demon called Nasty Nick and a fairy called Flora.
The story tells of how Mother Goose is about to be thrown off her land because she cannot pay Squire Snookup and his Bailiffs the rent. Nasty Nick is out to make mischief but his plans are thwarted by Fairy Flora who turns the only goose that Mother Goose has left into a magic goose who can lay golden eggs, thus solving all the villager’s financial problems.
Now she is rich Nasty Nick tempts Mother Goose with the one thing she doesn’t have - youth and beauty. He persuades her to visit the “Pool of Beauty” and she jumps in not thinking about what will happen to Priscilla. She emerges a changed woman but her family and friends don’t like her now - they want the old Mother Goose back. Too late she realises that beauty is NOT everything, and that she must get Priscilla back.
Followers of WBLOS will find some old favourites on the stage: Stuart Dark returns to playing the Dame after an absence in the female form of 3 years. Alan Fisher who was Stuart’s sister in Cinderella is the evil squire and this year also sees the return of Andy Baker (Ognog in Puss in Boots) and Aidan Baker (the pink Welsh fairy in Puss). There are several newcomers to Panto too. Lucy Johnson plays Peter Piper, the wandering minstrel and Maria Sands is Susie, Mother Goose’s daughter who fights off the unwelcome attentions of the Squire and falls in love with Peter. |
