... BRIGHTON 'MOTHER GOOSE' PRISCILLA the Goose almost steals the show in S. H. New some's Mother Goose at the Brighton Hippodrome. This pantomime is first and foremost a treat for the children, as of course, it should be, with Richard Hearne in the title role and pint-sized Dick Emery supplying much of the good, dean fun. Departing from the usual riotous opening, the curtain rises on Rich ...

... CANTERBURY 'BABES IN THE WOOD' BABES IN THE WOOD, produced at the Marlowe Theatre on Boxing Day, has a champagne sparkle and was given an enthusiastic reception. Book is by John Crocker, and additional music by Eric Gilder. Production is by Pat Sandys with Roy Hope as associate producer, choreography by Svitney Woodman and music under the direction of Leslie Wheeler. The singers really ...

... DUNDEE 'ALI BABA' AS usual at this time of year, Dundee Repertory Company have let their hair down and are presenting their own Christmas pantomime, Ali Baba, by Ken Wynne and James Grout. It s a piece of fun and nonsense that gives the cast the chance to do all the things they cannot do through the rest of the year sing, dance and make merry generally. As principal girl they have a special ...

... EASTBOURNE 'ALADDIN' WRITTEN, devised and supervised by Richard Burnett, Aladdin opened at Devonshire Park Theatre on Christmas Eve for a short run to January 3. Well dressed and with fresh and colourful scenery, the accent is on homely comedy and A welcome adhere nee to the story. In fact, about the ooty specialities are by a couple of comic animals.'' The principals are strong, and most ...

... HULL 'PUSS IN BOOTS' HULL'S only 1958-59 theatre-puntomimc Elkan and Barry unions production of Puss in Boots, at the New, got off to a rousing start on Boxing Day. Though the opening matinee performance ran for all of three and a half hours, it was not a moment too long for the large audience of children and grown-ups. Yorkshire comedian Sandy Lane heads the cast as Queen Amelia, and ...

... LEEDS 'CINDERELLA' LEEDS pantomime season opened with a rare swish and swing with a spectacular dancing and comedy Cinderella in the grand manner from Tom Arnold in association with John Beaumont at the Grand. Stan Stennett who made a hit in Mother Goose at the Grand last Christmas is back again, this time as traditional Buttons relieving pathos with fun in a laundry with the Baron and in ...

... KIDDERMINSTER 'JACK AND THE BEANSTALK' IT is encouraging for a theatre company to receive such an ovation as that received by the Noel Gay Productions' presentation of Jack and the Beanstalk when the three week show opened at the Playhouse on Boxing Day. The star turn, Paul Andrews, gopular singing star, as Simple inion proved to be capable both as a humorist and as a singer. He was very ...

... 'MOTHER GOOSE' \f OTHER GOOSE, the produe- -Mion at Middlesbrough Empire, is rich in theatrical tradition. While it still combines a blend of old and new it follows a well-tried pattern in pantomime. Familiar, perhaps, but always acceptable. The cast is one of the hardest- working ever seen in Middles brough. They never flag during a lengthy show and sheer determina tion alone will give the ...

... MORECAMBE 'RED RIDING HOOD' IT was a pleasure to sit in the stalls and witness the laughter and applause which greeted Bert Loman's Red Riding Hood pantomime company at the Christmas Eve opening of their two and a half week season at the Winter Gardens. There are lots of colourful and glittering scenes, the most out standing being the woodland transformation scene frm Autumn to Winter, from ...

... MARGATE 'MOTHER GOOSE' ALL the fun of the traditional British pantomime, with gay songs, a delightfully funny script, a dashing principal boy and lavish scenery can be found at the Theatre Royal, where the Company is presenting Mother Goose' written and produced by Reginald Birks. Despite its traditional flavour the panto is given a very up-to-date theme ths year with Mother Goose and he ...

... NORTHAMPTON 'ALADDIN' TEAM work has scored at the Northampton Repertory Theatre where Aladdin has been handled by many of the same hands that made Cinderella break box- office records for a panto at this theatre last Christmas. John Crocker has written the book once more and managed a blend of the traditional plus down-to-earth humour He has the music of lan Malntvre over a dozen ...

... OLDHAM 'GOLDILOCKS' THE natural exuberance of Alex Munro carries Jack Gillam's conventional Goldilocks and the Three Bears clear of tedium despite some drawn-out panto cliches--the haunted wood, the tippler school bench, the lunatic somcness of the busy bee water business Alex, hard working, burst- ing with bonhomie, has tremendous audience appeal Hello, ohildren, Hello. Alex, and the ...