Old Mother Hubbard

Reporter: Colin Meredith
Date online: 11/06/2008

This production was dedicated to the memory of Jean McIntosh who was a founder member of MADS in 1971 who sadly died in November 2001. She always loved doing panto and would have been proud of the performers on stage on the opening night.

This was a panto with a difference that transported us (by magic of course) from Old Mother Hubbard's cottage to Deadman's Gulch in the Wild West.

The first night audience who braved the elements were kept amused by a sharp script and a variety of different characters. In the title role Jon Comyn-Platt was an accomplished dame and was able to get the audience involved with lots of participation.

There was good support by Geoff Williams as her comic son Hughie, Lindsay Wilson as her pretty daughter Polly and Julie Dignan as their a clever canine Dandy. These four worked well together to drive the plot along.

The strong chorus of adults and children were important to the story and worked really well together. We were treated to the excellent comic capers of the two Bailiffs played by Simon Ellis and Tony Cox. This Laurel and Hardy partnership had some good patter which kept the comedy flowing. Kristy Finnigan shone brightly as the Good Fairy and delivered her rhyming couplets with great confidence.

After transporting the family to Deadman's Gulch we then began to run in to a new array of characters. Tex Laramie the principal boy role was played with conviction and a consistent American accent by Christina Wilson.

I have to mention Andy McKay who was a very amusing Old Tumbleweed and played the character with lots of energy. The baddy in the Wild West was Matt Vinyl who was suitably booed by the audience and was supported by his Moll Sue Taylor as Miss Lovable. We were treated to some well worked routines from the Beryl Johnson Dancers particularly in the saloon scene.

When the Indians arrived on the scene Charlotte Cox was particularly feisty as Little Deer with Philip Berrie as her father Chief Thunder Cloud and his copycat son Little Drizzle played by Jonathon Charnock.

The audience were given plenty of opportunities to get involved in this production and the show had some very colourful costumes and an effective set which was particularly impressive in the Indian camp scene. In the end Dandy the dog helped save the day and in true Wild West fashion the cavalry arrived just in time.

Milnrow Amateur Dramatic Society