Review: MOTHER GOOSE AND THE GOLDEN EGG, The Wilde Theatre
Photo credit: Savannah Media by Alex Harvey-Brown
The Wilde Theatre in South Hill Park always puts on a good pantomime and uses the same creative team each year to build on that success. Joyce Branagh returns to write the script of Mother Goose and explains that she delved back into the history of the title before settling on a very modern take on the story.
Robin Goodfairy (a delightful Jessi O’Donnell) and Ravenella Crow (a scowling evil Paul Toulson) are rivals to be awarded the Feathered Jewel of the Sky from Queen Snowy Owl (Lisa Clare) by finding and proving that a human can behave compassionately. They select Mother Goose (an effervescent Neil Jennings) as the test case and battle to influence her behaviour. Branagh gives it a modern feel by communicating with Snowy by a projected mobile and tempting Mother Goose with becoming an internet influencer. It appeals to the young school audience, although many of the more adult gags go over their heads! The kids do respond loudly to two viral moments of 2025 with their response to the 6-7 meme and ‘Chicken Banana’ Youtube song which becomes a call back.
The focus of the story is on Mother Goose and her relationship with Priscilla the Goose (charming Caitlin Tyla Edminson) who lays golden eggs and whether she is willing to trade her for a trip to the secret fountain of youth at the local car wash (a fun setting from the regular pantomime designer Victoria Spearing). Curiously, there is no love subplot as Colin (Christopher Patten-Walker’s panto debut) and Colinetta (an energetic Kerry Ingram) are twins rather than friends. However, it does create the opportunity for two classic comedy pantomime routines . The classic wall papering decorating slosh scene is great fun and well executed with all the expected moments and the ghost bench scene is a perfect delivery with all the standard elements. No pantomime should be without these standards of comic business.
The other strong recurring theme is Mother Goose’s desire to sing at the Eurovision Song Contest, which sets up a very strong finale with a megamix including ‘Waterloo’, ‘Spaceman’ and ‘Making Your Mind Up’. Indeed, the song choices throughout are a good combination of old and new woven into the story with ‘We Are Family’, ‘Gold’, ‘Car Wash’, ‘Let Me Entertain You’ for the older members of the audience and ‘APT’ and ‘Soda Pop’ for the kids. Abi Logan returns for a third year to choreograph some well drilled routines to the music with all the cast and the eight-person Junior Ensemble. It creates a fun and lively atmosphere full of energy and joy.
Mother Goose is a more unusual title but seems to be making a comeback since Sir Ian McKellan’s 2022 version and this version delivers with its clear message of putting others before yourself and Branagh’s script does egg-actly what you egg-pect with an eggs-cellent cast to produce a golden treat this Christmas with plenty of yokes.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
