Review: Mother Goose, Hackney Empire
Happy birthday Hackney Empire! 120 has never looked so good, with a dazzling panto to crown the year.summary
Rating
Excellent
Hackney Empire are ready to make Christmas once again, with a top notch Mother Goose. All eyes are on grande dame Clive Rowe as the big MG herself and this yearās director. Tonight, weāre in āHackneywoodā, the town where social media stars are made, likes are given and posts are shared. Fairy Fame (Gemma Wardle) wagers one final bet against Demon Queen (Rebecca Parker) that she cannot corrupt the final, non-vain and vapid Hackneywood resident, Mother Goose. If our baddie wins then all of Hackneywood will be turned into social media zombies and banished to Dalston (what horrors!!).
This is pretty solid panto fare; thereās goodies and baddies, āitās behind yousā and plenty of haze and pyro to boot, which come together well for an easy two and a half hours of silly fun. Itās good to see a strong ensemble and supporting cast too. Jack (Ope Sowande) and Jill (Holly Mallet) are lively accompaniment in a story where all eyes are on the goose. Everyone has their own jokes and place in the story, in Will Brentonās slightly tweaked, twisted and brought up-to-date script.
The Hackney Empire have assembled a fantastic team this year in the sight and sound department. We gaze upon a gorgeous take of old and new as Hackneywood is seen in a beautiful fish-eye tromp lāoeil, lit with excellent clarity and precision by David W Kidd. Weāre treated to cross generational panto covers from āWhat Becomes of the Broken Heartedā to Dua Lipaās āLevitatingā, but the real gems are the original songs from Steven Edis. Toe-tapping, all-the-way-home whistling is guaranteed with the charming Act II finale āWe Have Reached Our Happy Endā, ready for a reprise next year, I hope.
The Rowestopper himself is reliably fab throughout and is treated to some fantastic frocks from designer Cleo Pettitt. Heās got quite the pair of lungs on him and, bolstered by a sprightly band under direction of Renell Shaw, is given ample opportunity to bring the house down. The biggest dame in the game, has smashed it with a top notch Mother Goose.
Written by: Will Brenton
Directed by: Clive Rowe
Music by: Steven Edis
Costume design by: Cleo Pettitt
Musical Direction by: Renell Shaw
Lighting Design by: David W Kidd
Mother Goose plays at Hackney Empire until 31 December 2022. Further information and bookings here.