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There’s a goose loose aboot the hoose, and it’s hilarious

It’s back! Panto has landed at the Octagon Theatre for 2021 and it’s fabulous. Hilarious, engaging, glittering and everything a panto should be – Mother Goose is a triumph.

My son Robert and I often go to three or four pants each year, so we are veterans of the peculiarly British festive production. The Octagon is always the best.

I think the Yeovil magic lies in employing a cast of panto enthusiasts – no one from Neighbours, just solid panto professionals.

mother goose panto Cctagon theatre

Each year I see Robert getting a different lay of jokes, as it’s so finely crafted to appeal to all ages. This year he is 13 and the baddie revving himself up and pinging bullets from his groin my boy helpless with mirth.

The annual tenuously linked routine where the Glasgow dame (Gordon Cooper) and westcountry principal boy (Jack Glanville) pull things out of a handcart kept us laughing and if you’ve been to enough Octagon pantos (which the whole audience evidently had) you know the ghost routine well enough to sing along with gusto – we did.

The songs and the dancing were a tonic after a covid-muted panto last year, as was Mother Goose’s increasingly outrageous wardrobe.

Gordon’s audience victim this year was a brave chap called Darren, who one has to hope isn’t too scared by the experience. Chortle… Special mention to the ‘statue’ with the multiple fig leaves for keeping his cool while Billy Goose went foraging, Fairy Goodfeather (Lizzie Fances) for retaining her poise while dangling from the rafters and ‘Uncle Bill’ in the orchestra pit, who contributed to the comedy as well as providing sounds.

I sat next to South Somerset councillor Mike Best, who explained what’s soon to happen to the Octagon – a £23m rebuild which will sadly close the theatre for about 18 months, but result in a magnificent set of facilities. The crew at the Octagon are so worth it – they do a fantastic job, and will continue to do so with facilities able to host major West End productions, too.

Until that time, the Octagon has a plethora of amazing shows scheduled, from musicals and comedy to acclaimed tribute bands and plays for all ages.
mother Goose is on until January 2.

Go to octagon-theatre.co.uk to book.

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