Cast to dish up egg-cellent pantomime in Shrewsbury

Last minute preparations are being made ahead of curtain up for the first show tomorrow of a six-week run on Mother Goose – being staged at Theatre Severn.

Theatre bosses are delighted that this year’s show has beaten all egg-spectations with more than 38,000 tickets already sold.

Egg-stra performances have been put on to cope with demand.

On Monday afternoon, a tech rehearsal was underway at the theatre allowing cast and crew to come together and see just how the show will pan out.

The cast have been working together on their lines, dance routines and songs for more than a week but it is only in the last few days that they have moved on to the stage in the main auditorium where they have seen the scenery which will provide the backdrop to the show.

And for the first time they got a sneak peak of this year’s special effects and audiences will be provided with 3D glasses to experience it for themselves once the curtain goes up.

Brad Fitt – everyone’s favourite Dame – is looking forward to taking on the title role.

He said: “It is the King Lear of pantos. I am particularly looking forward to this one. In the past I have always been just a character, Buttons in Cinderella, Nursey in Peter Pan but this time it is me. Before I have been able to hide behind a character.

“I am a bit nervous too. I wasn’t nervous in other roles but here I am on stage almost all the time and when I’m not I am just waiting in the wings. Mother Goose is one of the oldest pantomimes but it had slightly fallen out of favour once all the others such as Aladdin and Cinderella had been done by Disney.

“But it is a great panto – there is a nice moral to it of how to be happy with what we have got. This character has been harder to learn because I am the central character. I am on stage more than I have ever been in the past so it has been harder and tiring to learn. I have more lines and more songs to sing.

“I am really looking forward to the opening performance tomorrow. At the moment in rehearsals it feels like we are missing that final member of the cast, and that is the audience, so I am really looking forward to getting out in front of them. It is brilliant performing in front of all the schoolchildren - they love the silly songs, characters, costumes and jokes.”

Theatre Severn Marketing officer Beki Poole said “We’re very much looking forward to this year’s pantomime and advance ticket sales have been unprecedented. Mother Goose is a classic and we’re very excited to reveal that this year’s production will include a very special 3D scene.

“This pantomime season will also be our 10th at Theatre Severn, so we can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with our audiences when the show opens this week.”

The pantomime is written by Telford-born Paul Hendy and produced by Evolution.

Mother Goose runs until January 6. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 01743 281281 or online at theatresevern.co.uk