[Review] Mother Goose at Oxford’s eggsellent New Theatre is cracking good fun

Swindon Link’s Jessica Durston was invited to the press night of the pantomime show Mother Goose at the New Theatre in Oxford.

I’ll admit something to you.

I’d rather thought myself above pantomimes now, or at least above the enjoyment of them. I had convinced myself that they were just something for kids or families around Christmas, that over time I had become further and further removed from.

Well…I’ve had to eat those words after seeing Mother Goose.

Were there all the recognisable tropes in this show, that one could expect to see from most pantomimes up and down the country? Well yes – but there is something extra special about this piece of family theatre that places it a cut (or should I say a beak) above the rest.

The history of the tale of Mother Goose dates back to as early as 1697, and in 1938, it was the first pantomime performed within the walls of Oxford’s New Theatre.

The latest version of the story, performed by 2023’s talented cast, follows Mother Goose, her husband Vic Goose, and their son Jack Goose, as they struggle to make ends meet and run a shelter for abandoned animals. One unexpected day, a golden goose lands right in their lap from the sky above and gives them riches beyond their wildest dreams. Life seems perfect, and Vic and Jack Goose seem content – but is Mother Goose happy with what she already has? Can she shake the constant naggings that she is still owed more than just golden eggs, and give up her dreams of fame and fortune beyond measure?

The story looks at the idea of the true meaning of happiness, and what harm greed can do not only to ourselves, but to those around us that we hold close.

And now to tackle the elephant in the room – or should that be the thespian in the room? Sir Ian McKellen is in this show as Mother Goose – yup, stop the presses, Gandalf is in a dress.

What makes this show different to other pantomimes is the fact that the Dame takes centre stage as the protagonist. The role of Mother Goose has been described as ‘the Hamlet of the Dames’, and so it seems rather apt that Sir Ian, a seasoned theatrical phenomenon, should step into her sensible heels.

The esteemed actor threw everything he had into his performance. Nothing but absolute reckless abandon from the 83-year-old! It is clear, even in this hammy slapstick role, he is an absolute seasoned professional. His energy remained high throughout, and he is everything you would want a Dame to be and more. He bounced off John Bishop well, and the two of them make an unlikely but genius pairing. They had fantastic back and forth and chemistry together.

Watching Sir Ian flaunt his silly side was equally as enjoyable as watching the snippets of his serious side throughout his few monologue reflections. Audiences are even treated to a little Shakespeare from the thespian and from John Bishop.

Although Sir Ian is undoubtedly the main draw of the show for most, and the biggest star on the pantomime bill, the others were not overshadowed by him. He was of course a stand out, but the other cast members all were given a chance to shine, and shine they did – with some of them taking on multiple roles.

John Bishop (as Vic Goose) surprised me with the apparent ease he showed, turning his hand to pantomime stage acting. As a comedian, his timing and punchline delivery were second-to-none, and it was a joy to see him making the audience, his fellow cast mates, and himself, fall about laughing. His comic form, and ability to banter relentlessly with the other actors are a credit to the show.

Furthermore, Anna-Jane Casey as Cilla Quack (the golden goose herself) gave a magical and charismatic performance, and her vocals alongside the two fairies, Malignia (Karen Mavundukure) and Encanta (Sharon Ballard), nearly lifted the roof off the New Theatre.

Oscar Conlon-Morrey took on the role of Jack Goose, Mother and Vic Goose’s son. His high-energy, singing skills, and physical comedy talents shone brightly throughout the show – and particularly within his scenes with Sir Ian and John Bishop.

All the main cast playing the Goose family’s abandoned animals are stars within their own right, dazzling everyone with their dancing, vocal capabilities, and comic performance. Moreover, the pop songs selected for the soundtrack are big numbers that are perhaps a little more ambitious than those found at local theatre pantomimes. Cilla Quack taking on Streisand’s ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’ is not something you forget about in a hurry; I can tell you.

The pantomime’s author Jonathan Harvey, and director Cal McCrystal made for a dream team, injecting humour, relatability, warmth, drama and most importantly, fun, into this classic fairy tale narrative. Harvey’s humorous range was demonstrated with his Mother Goose script containing everything from witty and biting jokes to knee-slapping gags that only your dad would be proud of – something for everyone.

The pantomime’s snappy and fast-paced dialogue is delivered beautifully by the cast, who are so professional and practiced, that they move as one symbiotic unit. I’m sure Jonathan Harvey feels Mother Goose is a welcome addition to his back catalogue of successes, alongside his work on Gimme Gimme Gimme, Call the Midwife, Shameless, The Catherine Tate Show, and Tracey Ullman’s show.

The stellar work from director Cal McCrystal is not to be overlooked either, as the pair’s combined efforts created a laugh-a-minute whirlwind adventure of a narrative that, as an audience member, you don’t want to end. Cal’s other credits include work on BBC’s Inside No. 9, Cats, the Paddington films, The World’s End, The Amazing Spiderman 2, The Dictator and more. In addition to this, the director also creates shows for Giffords Circus every year, since he joined their team in 2012. His transferable skills have certainly been put to use for this chaotic and brilliant pantomime show.

Additionally, the costumes from Liz Ashcroft were the right mix of campy and glamourous. There were more costume changes than you could shake a stick at – most of them being fabulous dresses for Sir Ian McKellen! The abandoned animals’ costumes were creative and gave a flavour of the creature they were supposed to be embodying, without looking cheap or overdone. A favourite for me personally was the cricket wearing bright green cricket pads – a nice touch.

Ashcroft’s talents do not end at the costumes though, for she was too in charge of the set design. Although there were the beautiful and traditional painted backdrops that you would expect to see on a pantomime stage, modern touches were added, in the form of the rather amusing abandoned Debenhams setting for the first act. This was just one of the aspects of Mother Goose that brings this classic tale up-to-date and into the relatability of the modern world. It plays upon the UK’s current social and political situation, and encourages audiences to laugh at the strange times they find themselves in.

The closing down of high street shops, and the current state of the British economy were not the only things to be light-heartedly ridiculed in this show – nothing and no one was safe from the fun-poking. There are gags aimed at the Government, some good-natured joshing about the Royal Family, and plenty of back and forth jibing about the Oxford audience members themselves.  

In addition, Sir Ian and John Bishop’s explosive on-stage chemistry was fuelled by jokes about McKellen’s other roles, and acting calibre, and John’s well…lack of acting calibre, and his accent.

Mother Goose walks the fine line between a family-friendly and adult pantomime. A lot of the more suggestive jokes were crafted and delivered in a tactful way to ensure they would fly over most of the wee audience members’ innocent heads. As an adult watching the show, I felt more engaged in the narrative as I didn’t know when the next innuendo or humorous jab aimed at ‘the energy companies’ or the like was coming next, and I wanted to make sure I was paying attention.

But do not get it twisted – there’s still plenty for little ones to enjoy including puppets, a take on the iconic ‘messy kitchen’ panto scene, encouragement for the audience to clap, shout out, and sing along where necessary, the battle of good vs evil, and of course a wedding to wrap things up nicely.

Watching Mother Goose reminded me of the many Decembers I spent as a child at the local theatre, experiencing its various pantomime shows. I would go every year with my immediate family, and my paternal grandmother who I remember so fondly, and love as dearly as she loved musical theatre.

Taking this recent trip to Oxford’s New Theatre warmed my heart and took me right back to those special evenings spent with my beloved grandmother, allowing me to get in touch with my inner child.

If you wish to share in the same magical experience I have spent this review discussing, then please treat yourself to a ticket and enjoy the fun. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.