Mother Goose Review from back in 2012

In a week or so, rehearsals will begin for this year's panto Mother Goose. We're all very excited to be able to bring the show to you this Christmas.

We have an excellent cast and a group of incredibly talented dancers and junior dancers, and it's going to be another amazing production.

For now, we thought we'd go back a little, and show you a review of the 2012 production:

PAIGNTON Pantomime Productions really pulled out all the stops with its 2012 show Mother Goose. I'm glad I went to have a gander, as it was eggscellent! It may be one of the lesser known panto stories, but that didn't stop the packed auditorium booing and hissing and shouting throughout. There wasn't a dull moment. I particularly liked it when two of the main characters, Mother Goose and her son Silly Billy, went into the crowds and fired water pistols into the audience. It made the youngsters in the audience giggle, but I'm not too sure the elderly party next to me were too impressed to get wet. The show may have been produced by amateurs, but it was professional throughout and was better than a lot of celebrity crowd pulling, big money shows which have been on offer this festive season. The cast were enthusiastic and there's no doubt they've worked extremely hard produce such a great show. Chris Mitchell as Mother Goose did a good job coping with the high heels and zany costumes and Nicholas Heath as Silly Billy, the village idiot, was the audience favourite. Fairy Fortune (Georgina Johnson) was also on form. It's just a shame she didn't have more numbers to sing as she has a strong voice. Her arch enemy, the Demon of Discontent (Jo Button), was also wonderful as the baddie. Her rendition of the Adele hit Skyfall was excellent. What made this show attractive for all ages was it featured songs old and new, from the Bruno Mars pop classic I Think I Wanna Marry You to Ken Dodd's Happiness. Most pantos don't seem to bring their score right up to date, so it was a refreshing change to see some really modern tracks, including the fun dance song Gangnam Style. No expense has been spared on the set. With dancing fountains and a brilliant flying dragon, it was a real spectacle. The choreography was also perfect for the production and the young team of dancers really enhanced the overall feel of the show. Iain Douglas has done a top job directing this offering and I'm already looking forward to seeing what next year has to offer. Dawn Ellis, Herald Express, 3rd January 2013