Pantomime
Weans in the Wood(lands)
Oran Mor, Glasgow
Three stars
It’s Panto-time at Oran Mor: time to cock-a-snook at some much-cherished, ever-popular targets, albeit not the specifically political ones that got roundly pilloried of yore.
We’re cheekily closer to home here, with writer/director Martin McCormick aiming nippy side-swipes at the venue’s own locale: the West End enclave and its seemingly-snobby ain folk. Cue Carlotta Kelvinbridge (Karen Fishwick) - sweetly naive in the Barbie-pink uniform of her up-market girls’ school. Carlotta harbours a naughty longing to take a walk on the wild side - yikes! Does that extend as far as Partick Cross? Shuggie (Christian Ortega) would be awfy happy to show her a good time; but he’s from the wrong side of the Byres Road… and (so the gag goes!) so poor he can’t even afford a surname!
Meanwhile the evil, power-mad Lady Titania of Townhead (Carmen Pieraccini, flamboyantly villainous with a wicked cackle) has ambitions to get rid of all the children in the city because - well, just because she’s a meanie. Alackaday, Shuggie’s Mammy, Dame Anita Whizzwaz, falls victim to the plot device of poisoned chocolate and is transformed into an animal - bravo! to Neil John Gibson for prancing about as a Fox-y bod in an Uber-snug lycra body-skin that, whatever else it constricts, doesn’t cramp his frisky-flirty style.
You’ll have guessed by now that Shuggie and Carlotta have to save the day, if, that is, they can find time between singing bright and breezy songs with witty lyrics. Luckily Kelvingrove harbours a Fairy, reluctantly retired from her panto career but still capable of magic: Carmen Pieraccini doubles as this Goodie, delivering a cracking musical number that evokes memories of glory days on-stage. It’s a highlight in a show that sets out to entertain with a good-natured nod and a wink - and a teensy twist in the tail of the tale.
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