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So it’s the time of year when pantomimes descend onto theatres all over the UK to bring comical entertainment and cheer to children and adults alike. Mother Goose is currently playing at the Oxford Playhouse and the theatre were kind enough to invite the Guide2Oxford team down to see the show.

I have to admit it was the first pantomime that I have been to in about ten years, if not longer. For most people once you get over the age of about 16 you become to ‘cool’ to go to the panto and will probably not go again till you have children. Never the less I had a certain air of excitement as I walked through the doors of the Oxford Playhouse, there were people everywhere clearly excited to be experiencing the atmosphere that the Mother Goose pantomime brings.

After having a quick drink and mince pies (which were amazing) I made my way to my seat in the circle balcony of the theatre. The atmosphere was bubbly and warm as the crowds took their seats for the show. The lights darken and the band next to the stage brought the show to life with a mix of cabaret songs and latest music…..all of a sudden there is a bang and cloud of smoke as the Wicked Witch of Walberswick enters the stage to taunt the audience as she plays with the option of changing the play from the Mother Goose that everybody came to see. Once again there is a load bang and glitter as the Good Fairy of Garsington enters the stage to stop the wicked witch and get the Mother Goose Pantomime to start.

The story starts with Mother Goose telling of her troubles, desperate for money to stop the Duke from getting her evicted. Mother Goose uses light hearted jokes along with comical pops and world events including the banking crisis and X – Factor to entertain the audience. As the story continues, the cast are introduced including Mother Goose’s children Silly Billy and Jilly. After the Duke arrives to try to get money off Mother Goose, the star of the show Eldorada the Goose enters the stage to a massive cheer from the audience. As Mother Goose and Eldorada have a song and dance, Eldorada starts to lay ‘Golden Eggs’.

From this point the Pantomime really comes to life as Mother Goose is pressured by the Witch to give her the goose in return for eternal youth, a tempting offer as Mother Goose has had 4 husbands and wants to fine love. The Good Fairy tries to stops the Witch with a round the world holiday for the Goose family, with not success apart from the family experiencing trouble all the way.

As Mother Goose is transformed, her character changes to a cross between Vicky Pollard out of ‘Little Britain’ and something out of ‘The Only Way is Essex’. As her family are shocked and dismayed, the Good fairy looks to save the day. This part I will keep secret to not spoil the show.

Mother Goose is full of song, jokes, happiness and cheer, with Writer and Director Peter Duncan using a fantastic mix of jokes and sketches to entertain both adults and children….along with the classic “He’s behind you” dialogue between the audience and cast also included.

My personal favourite part of the show was the duet of Jessie J “Price Tag” between The Witch of Walberswick and The Good Fairy of Garsington. I won’t go into to much detail but their voices were refreshing on the ears and the dancing from some of the fellow cast was so funny I was in stitches.

Mother Goose at the Oxford Playhouse runs until the 15th January 2012 with performances on most days with some days having two performances. I would highly recommend the show to lovers of the pantomime along with people like myself who haven’t been for a while. Its family fun from start to finish along with having something for everyone throughout the show…..simply a pantomime classic at it’s best!

Click here for Mother Goose at the Oxford Playhouse event details.