Mother Goose: Shrewsbury panto will have flying fairy and laughter - with video

Mother Goose, at Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn, is believed to be the only showing of the tale in the country and will feature audience interaction, a flying fairy, and lots of laughter.

Last year's Snow White and the Severn Dwarfs was a record-breaking performance for the theatre, and this year sales are already up on last year by 20 per cent.

The demand has been such that only one third of tickets still remain.

Star of the show Mother Goose, aka the ever-popular Brad Fitt, is also directing this year's show, which is written by Paul Hendy from Evolution.

Brad said: "I've never done Mother Goose and I'm absolutely looking forward to it.

"It's a very old pantomime. All pantos have a similar storyline, but this is a brand new script written last year.

"I saw the panto performed in Sheffield last year and I loved it, there was a beautiful set and costumes, it was very funny.

"We've got a flying fairy and a beauty salon, and there's a very funny scene where once we've got the money I decide to open a beauty salon which is all automated, and being a pantomime things start to go slightly awry."

Mr Hendy, is the writer and producer at Evolution, the company which brings the show to the Theatre Severn.

He said: "The story is about Mother Goose, Brad, who has this magic goose which lays golden eggs. There's a baddy, Demon Vanity, who wants the magic goose and says to Fairy Goodfeather that although Mother Goose is not vain she would trade the goose for beauty.

"He changes her but then nobody loves her anymore and then she realises it's not about beauty and youth and money as she was happier before.

"It's a moral tale, in the end she realises it's about love not money.

"It will have all the classic pantomime traits, lots of audience participation and some surprises.

"This is one of the best casts, we've got stars from the West End performing this year, they're very experienced.

"As far as we're aware this is the only showing of Mother Goose in the country this year, it's just not performed very often because you need a very strong and talented dame as it's the only pantomime where the dame is the central character.

"With Brad we've got one of the best dames in the country so we thought it was a good tale for Shrewsbury.

"We're hoping to make it the biggest and most spectacular pantomime that Shropshire has ever seen.

"It was a brand new set built last year, new costumes and lots of comedy."

Radio Shropshire's Eric Smith will play the squire this year in his 16th role in Shrewsbury's main yearly pantomime.

He said: "I've done the panto in Shrewsbury both here at the Theatre Severn and at the old Music Hall for 15 years, this is the 16th.

"If you include Mother Goose, I've been in every different panto there is, I absolutely adore it.

"Pantomime has got better right across the country over the years.

"The big draw for Shrewsbury's panto is Brad and he's the main character this year who usually plays the dame who drives the show.

"We'll be laughing on the first show right up until the last.

"Pantomime is a brilliant chance for kids to come to the theatre, sometimes for the first time, but it's not just for kids, it's adults too.

"The audience gets involved and the kids love it. My grandson is five and he came last year and he was screaming his head off, he loved it."

For more information visit theatresevern.co.uk/shows/whatson/mother-goose