Mother Goose Review

I wrote a review of Steeple Bumpstead Players pantomime 'Mother Goose' a couple of weeks ago but unfortunately not all of it went in the paper. Here is the unedited version.

Steeple Bumpstead Players and Junipers: Mother Goose



Steeple Bumpstead Village Hall was the venue last Friday as Mother Goose opened to a near capacity audience.

This was Hayley Thorn’s directorial pantomime debut and her influence was seen throughout, especially with the dance scene at the end when the Junipers performed S Club 7’s ‘Reach’.

The pantomime was a usual mix of carry-on innuendo and references to popular movies, with a sound track as diverse as ‘You’re the One I want’ from Grease and ‘Gonna Fly Now’ from Rocky which greeted both Mother Goose and Priscilla the Goose, played by Ann Gladden, onto the stage.

There were also the usual ‘He’s behind you!’ and ‘ Oh no your not’ exchanges between audience and cast, especially when the Demon of Discontent appeared, played by Trevor Bishop, who’s hypnotic yet mad eyes were very much apart of the character we have come accustomed to in a Pantomime villain.

The star of the show was Mother Goose herself as Sheila Bronson delighted the crowd, who took a while to get warmed up, and who definitely became more vocal as the pantomime went on.

Another entertaining performance came from Jo Bishop who played daft as a brush Billy, but who unfortunately was not allowed to throw sweets into the crowd as it is now seen as a health and safety hazard, I like others was not aware that the PC police were in attendance!

Even though the King of Gooseland appeared half way through the second act, the King of Puns was definitely in attendance, shouting “Egg-cellent!” as Priscilla the Goose delivered three gold eggs and heckling, “Your really branching out”, when the Demon of Discontent was turned into a tree after hypnotizing himself.

Overall it went as well as an opening night can go but I am sure that as the Saturday matinee performance looms the audience and the cast will both get into top gear.