Scene stealer Andonis Anthony as the Demon of Discontent
Date: 22 November 2009
It's Panto time! This means sing-a-longs that go wrong, girls who dress as boys who like boys who dress as girls and kids screaming "Behind you" or "You’re holding its hand!" This time round for the citizens of ‘Oldhamia’, the Coliseum brings us the much loved tale of Mother Goose.
I have to admit that Christmas pantomimes don’t exactly hold a special place in my heart. Musicals? Love 'em!. Slapstick too if it is done right. Knowing cultural references, yes please. However many pantomimes simply fail to blend these elements together seamlessly and I tend to get a bemused look on my face. Eyebrows knotted, a quick glance round to gauge the reactions of my companions.
Yet in truth, Mother Goose is a charming, fast paced panto that beams out at you from the stage and gets you to beam right back. It tells the story of the poor household of Billy (Richard J Fletcher), Colin (Amy Rhiannon Worth), Mother Goose (Fine Time Fontayne) and Priscilla (the goose, if you didn’t know). Completing the neighbourhood is their landlord Squire Squander (Patrick Bridgman) and his daughter Jill (Nicole Evans), the object of Colin’s affections. Twists and turns in the plot come thanks to the meddling of the good Fairy Feathers (Linzi Matthews, also Priscilla) and the evil Demon of Discontent [(Andonis Anthony]); cue entrances with fireworks and addressing us in rhymes.
The performances are all likeable; particularly Anthony’s dark and sparkly homage to Tim Curry, Matthews’ great voice combined with cheeky wit and Bridgman’s equally funny turns as Squire Squander and King of Gooseland. The principals are complemented by the poised and professional chorus of young girls as villagers, servants and sprites.
Some of the fun from Panto is things going wrong though, isn’t it? Fontayne makes plenty of gaffs as Mother Goose but endearingly excuses himself: it is first night after all. I do wish his dame had a higher pitched voice but his La Cage aux Folles meets Stars In Their Eyes rendition of "I Am What I Am" is superb, as is his Greek dancing which saved the smashing plates scene.
All the stops are pulled out in Kevin Shaw’s production to please the almost full house. Eric Potts’ script has plenty of drag references and local jokes which go down a storm. Dave Bintley’s recognisable song choices are wildly diverse; ranging from old favourites Grease and Disney to current chart toppers Beyonce and Alexandra Burke. The sound effects are fun especially during the big fight scene in the Demon’s lair.
Equally impressive are Celia Perkins’ amazing costumes with classy red, blue and white polka dots and stripes for the majority of characters and a spectacularly silly wardrobe for Mother Goose. My favourite of the dame’s couture was a fabulous night time themed dress complete with furry sheep.
All in all, I’m not sure I’ll need another dose of Panto this season or else that scrunched up face of mine might reappear but Mother Goose really did shake its tail feather and I think I liked it.
Mother Goose does not present the most engaging of panto stories but even in this version the story seemed thin on the ground. The performance was distinctly average, but what let it down most, in my opinion as a theatre technician, was the exceedingly poor sound mix, which left much of the dialogue muffled and unitelligible and the song lyrics indistiguishable. I saw a drum kit in the orchestra pit and someone flailing about with a pair of sticks but couldn't hear any drums in the mix. The lighting design improved only slightly on sound quality, achieving a standard which failed to surpass a level called mediocrity by some distance. Bland, washed out, and uninspired. Not the technical standard that the Coliseumused to aspire to. - gareth
15 Dec 09
Mother Goose at the Coliseum has been somewhat of a let down this year. The story does not flow freely, and I'm sorry to say it is missing that Christmas feeling. A poor Christmas show by a usually good Oldham Coliseum this year. - Tom
29 Nov 09
Also, this reviewer doesn't understand panto. A Dame with a high pitched voice completley defeats the object of the character and would be really hard to watch. Why don't people review panto seriously (as you would any other comedy), rather than talking about it snidely and flippantly?? It's a very important part of our culture and when theatres and performers are doing their best to promote it and widen the audience, it should be celebreated, not maligned. - Rob
28 Nov 09
The reviewer doesn't like pantomimes but really liked this one - Says it all !! It just shows how brilliant the Coliseum theatre really is. Every festive season they put on spectacular traditional performances with great actors, (who are better than your usual recognised t.v. faces), and families continue to love them. The true spirit of the happy family Christmas lives on at the Oldham Coliseum.
I previewed this fab show a couple of days ago and I'm taking all the family on Boxing day too. - Tillytilton
23 Nov 09
why are you sending someone to review panto if they never have liked panto, hardly fair on the production team, and cast - bob
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