Directed and Co-Written by Ken Alexander

Co-Written by Fraser Boyle

Associate Direction and Choreography by Sarah Wilkie

Musical Direction and Composition by Stuart Fleming

Review by Dominic Corr

Tickets from £18.00

There it is, folks: the pantomime. This is how it’s done, a pantomime with an old soul, a contemporary mindset, and nothing but joy in its heart. This year’s Ayr Gaiety Pantomime, Mother Goose, has it all, but it isn’t just ticking boxes; it’s snapping up the barriers and presenting a pantomime with such flair, authenticity, and respect for the art form and accessibility that it’s showing the rest of us how it’s done. And the best part of it all? It’s a bloody fantastic show to boot.

The beauty of Fraser Boyle and Ken Alexander’s script comes from the quaintness of the story, and this isn’t to say it isn’t chockfull of belter lines, heart, and innovative concepts, but it isn’t trying to be something it isn’t – it’s a contemporary pantomime which takes a golden story, the most versatile and ‘blank slate’ of pantomimes, and makes it entirely a creature of its own. Mother Goose, also performed by Boyle, runs her marketplace and food bank stall with an open-door policy – perhaps too open a door, inviting in any who need food or comfort – and leaving them open to the temptations of fame and money. No good deed goes unpunished, but for Mother Goose, her open heart and vanity might become too much for her do-gooder ways.

Supported by the terrific Solar Bear (Wake Up), Mother Goose is the first hearing-led pantomime in Scotland, created to feature D/deaf performers in leading roles, incorporating BSL, Sign Supported English, as well as Visual Vernacular into the production – with the cast members performing elements of each, as well as their spoken lines. So, who better to open the show than our Angel, Bea Webster, strutting their stuff as a de-facto narrator for the production to get the audience stuck into the interactions and additional elements which make Mother Goose so wonderful. And while rallying the audience, their chemistry with the cast is a delight – giving off the immediate impression of just how much fun we’re about to have.

Taking on the mantle of Dame themselves, Boyle exudes an energy only felt by those doing this out of passion and enthusiasm – rather than contractually. The art of being a Dame, of controlling the stage while ensuring everyone else has their moment to shine and bounce off the building energy, is a difficult one, as the best in the land still struggle to not hog the light: Boyle is the perfect Mother Goose, ensuring everyone has a turn at the centre of the stage. But it’s not all champagne and caviar, or rather, that’s precisely what it is: this Mother Goose is dazzlingly taken in by the allure of the golden eggs in a way which allows Boyle to play up the luxury, rip off the housecoat and slippers, and let their hair down and the Botox out – and armed with Alisa Kalyanova’s costuming? They’re unstoppable.

Vocally, few can match with Boyle’s powerful ballads or more sombre moments, but if anyone can, it’s Chiara Sparkes. A departure from the princess formula, Sparke’s Alice Goose is a homegrown soul, looking to the nearby Troon University to become a Vet – fitting when her brother is a goose plopping out 24K nuggets. Sparkes is such a presence onstage, vocally and comedically, radiating a festive joy that melts even the dourest of faces coming in from the bitter winter winds. Their romance with Hugo McNumptie, carried with animated energy by the talented Gavin Jon Wright, is one element of the classic panto storytelling, which doesn’t feel forced or stale, the pair sharing a genuine chemistry and connection.

Though not as much as Wright’s dynamic duo with Jamie McKillop’s Kelvie Goose – the pair hit the jokes and timing into the audience with aplomb. Each ad-lib and moment of interaction with the crowd is a joy, with snigger and break of character sublime. While Wright’s physical comedy is something to behold, nearly cartoonish in moments, the messages and heart beneath McKillop’s feathers are just another one that causes Mother Goose to soar and take wing, which is inclusive and gorgeous. It’s the same with the terrific ensemble cast members like Rachel Campbell, Ciara Flynn, Benedetta Zanetti and Lewis Kerr, who all help sprinkle those last flourishing bits of brilliance onto an already outstanding show.

But it’s all a bit happy and sappy, isn’t it? Where’s the venom, the vileness, and the dazzling crimson costumes? Look no further than Dani Heron’s Diavola, whose cackles and slapbacks to the audience could be heard from here to Falkirk and back. It’s tough making being bad look this good, but their commitment to the bit and frequent lampooning of the audience’s lack of hygiene and whiffy nature aren’t just jabs for the sake of jabs, but somehow all feedback into the role. Heron is having the time of their life playing it nasty, even giving us a chilling rendition of Wonderland’s hit number I Will Prevail, given a sinister and appropriate twist for the deranged antagonist and an excellent demonstration of the Goslings, played by the Gaiety Junior Ensemble, armed with    

Gilded in kindness glittering in cheer, Mother Goose is the definitive experience for Pantomime audiences: young, old, new, or jaded. Its classical elements of dance, or skits and variety all mingle with a timeless vibe – and it’s decked out trimmings of risqué humour, referential gags, and authentic inclusion, which is incorporated in a way which is nuanced to the story and threaded in for audiences from a young age. Running until January 4th, don’t wait to see 2025 in without first visiting The Gaiety and witnessing how theatre is meant to be done.

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