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The sign of a great pantomime is leaving with a spring in your step, a song in your heart and enough festive sparkle to fire you into the New Year. This year’s joyous offering at The Gaiety, Mother Goose, melds the best of the pantomime tradition with an inclusive, modern take on the classic fairytale.
Rammed full of local jibes (watch out Cumnock…) and with real heart, Mother Goose tells how fortune – and vanity – can corrupt even the purest of hearts.
At this show’s heart is its inclusivity, making Scottish history with two D/deaf actors in a hearing-led cast. Bea Webster shines as fairy Angel, spreading some much-needed sparkle on these cold, winter nights – and teaches us some BSL along the way.
Mother Goose is, of course, the dame’s panto – and Fraser Boyle leads the chaos without breaking a sweat. Boyle rules the roost but doesn’t hog the spotlight, delivering the perfect balance when there is so many funny bones sharing his stage.
There are laughs aplenty from Gavin Jon Wright’s Hugo McNumptie and Jamie McKillop brings the sass to this gold-laying goose that kids will love. ‘We Are Family’ is the anthem that keeps the Goose’s going – although they’re partial to a bit of Gloria Estefan too!
As Alice Goose, Chiara Sparkes is ‘Astonishing’, a real gem in the Scottish panto scene, equally at ease dishing out the patter as she is to belting out the Little Women anthem, soaring even above those in the audience with a bit too much festive spirit.
The boo’s really get cracked open with Dani Heron’s dastardly Diavola, who might bring the glam – but we all know she’s really a bam. Every panto needs some evil, but Heron will make sure there are no tears – just boos – for her baddie.
Boyle and Ken Alexander’s script is a love letter to pantomime – respecting the routines (a particularly entertaining leatherjacket chase is a real highlight) of old while surprising with a modern twist. It might be a little long in places, but you can’t argue audiences don’t get value for money this Christmas at The Gaiety.
Boyle and Alexander have been in charge of the Gaiety’s in-house production for six years now, delighting audiences year after year – and hopefully there will be many more to come.
Scotland’s big cities are always a draw for families at Christmas – but Ayr’s Gaiety consistently shows you can have all the magic right on your doorstep. With a mammoth run ahead, there’s no excuse not to snap up your tickets to this marvellous theatrical spectacle.
Mother Goose at The Gaiety, Ayr until 4th January 2025
Don’t forget to follow the #BrawPantoTour on social media.
Photo Credit – Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
