It was impossible not to be captivated by the laughter, booing and drama during the mother of all pantomime performances at Oban’s Corran Halls last week.
Over four performances, members of Spotlight Musical Theatre Group thrilled audiences with colourful and interactive renditions of ‘Mother Hubbard and the Magic Purse’ set in Tumbledown Village.
Between Thursday November 30 and Saturday December 2, boos, laughter and chants of ‘they’re behind you’ filled the venue during an enthralling battle between good and evil.
Pulling the strings in the background of this battle were the brilliantly portrayed Fairy Good, Moira Beaton, and Demon Evil, Fran Melville, with the future of Mother Hubbard’s financially troubled orphanage at stake.
The main character was portrayed by Roderick MacEachen, who tackled the role of Dame excellently, with the Junior Orphans barely missing a beat.
Handy Andy, Ian Henry, also added plenty comedy value as Mother Hubbard’s long suffering handyman, building a stellar partnership with the older orphan Megan, Gillian MacKechnie.
For most of the dazzling show, the audience was left on tenterhooks about whether Megan would be able to marry her love at first sight, Prince Harry, Donald Feist.
The similarity to the names of real-life royalty were clear, but this gambit was achieved with great subtly and to much hilarity.
However, there were rather less comparisons to be made to the pantomime’s King, Peter MacArthur, and Queen, who were fantastic additions to the storyline.
Indeed, Morven Wright’s performance as a slightly worse for wear Queen raised several hugely deserved laughs.
This provided a break from the intensity of waiting to find out whether Harry and Megan would marry, or if she would have to marry the obnoxious Squire Gambit, Andrew Baxter, to save the orphanage.
Thankfully, we got our fairytale ending after many twists in this hilarious tale, but not before Squire Gambit and his two accomplices – Bump, Lachie D’arcy, and Grind, Jessica McCann – got up to all sorts of mischief.
His two hench people worked well as audience companions throughout, with their comedic timing and moral journey of the characters commendable.
Last but not least, the ensemble added their fantastic singing voices into the mix as the villagers and Google the dog, Caley D’arcy, also made the audience laugh while remaining silent – not an easy feat.
Cast:
Mother Hubbard (Dame) – Roderick MacEachen; Handy Andy – Ian Henry; Megan – Gillian MacKechnie; Prince Harry – Donald Feist; Squire Gambit – Andrew Baxter; Bump – Lachie D’arcy; Grind – Jessica McCann; Fairy Good – Moira Beaton; Demon Evil – Fran Melville; Google the dog – Caley D’arcy; The King – Peter MacArthur; The Queen – Morven Wright; The Banqueting Pig – Flora Cumming; Orphans – Flora Cumming, Heidi Edwards-Melville, Lucy MacGregor, Annie MacLennan and Brodie Sloss; Junior Orphans – Olivia Bowman, Persephone Crooks, Abi Greenlaw, Arran Greenlaw, Amelia Hunter, Imogen Lockhart, Cecilia Steuart Fotheringham, Lucy Danks, Freddie Dunn, Zoe Isaac, Orla MacLennan, Ellie McGuckin, Elaina Ramsay and Charlotte Sloss; villagers, skeletons and staff and guests at the Royal Ball – Aimie Baker, Kathleen Bate, Fiona Brydon, Robin Burgess, Ellie Cooper, Phil Dexter, Lesley Duncan, Hilary Hannah, Janet Heron, Louisa Hyde, Fiona O’Brien, Peter MacArthur, Alison MacKenzie, Živile Matijaskiene, Sheena McLennan, Brodie Sloss and Morven Wright.
Production team: Directed by – Louisa Hyde and Kathleen Bate; choreographer – Louisa Hyde; vocal direction – Nicole O’Brien and Kathleen MacGregor; deputy stage manager – Nicole O’Brien; stage management – Sally Orr and Dougald Thomson; produced by Louisa Hyde; publicity, communications and ticketing officer – Ellie Cooper; prompt – Julie Keen; lighting, sound and SFX Desk – Stuart Abercrombie, Stephen Day, Stevo Finlayson, Nicole O’Brien, Fergie McIver and Fiona Thomson.
Backstage crew – Jack Anderson, Tony Cave, Eilidh Orr, Sally Orr, Caroline Macinnes, Iain MacDonald and Dougald Thomson.
Set construction props – Kathleen Bate, Phil Dexter, Ian Henry, Louisa Hyde, Michelle Hyde, Roderick MacEachen, Kathleen MacGregor, Caroline Macinnes, Sheena McLennan, Sally Orr and Morven Wright.
Principal set artists – Sally Orr and Gordon Slater; set painters – Phil Dexter, Michelle Hyde, Shona Johnston, Caroline MacInnes, Fran Melville, Eilidh Orr, Sally Orr and Morven Wright; costumes – Susan Baker, Fiona Brydon, Kathleen Bate, Louisa Hyde, Michelle Hyde, Sheena McLennan and Morven Wright; chaparone – Rosemary MacColl; orphans’ hair and make-up – Rachael Lockhart; social media co-ordinator – Stephen Day; media design – Ellie Cooper, Stephen Day and Print Mhor Ltd; photo and video production – Stephen Day, Debbie Day and Marian Malarvie; make-up – Sheena McLennan and Eilish Thomson; front of house manager – Shiralene Cave.