Cracker of a panto from Buxton Drama League

Anthony Davies as Mother Goose and Elyse Marling as Silly Billy.

The company continues its fun-filled tradition by performing Mother Goose at the Burbage Institute from January 31 to February 8.

Director Robbie Carnegie said: “For this year’s panto, we thought it would be good to go back to a really traditional story. Mother Goose has all the classic traditions of pantomime: a dame, a principal boy (played by a female actor!), an evil villain, comedy henchmen, a hilarious (and very messy) slapstick scene … oh, and a pantomime goose! “

Mother Goose contains a good mix of Buxton Drama League regulars and new faces. In the title role, Anthony Davies brings glamour, hilarity (and a range of fabulous costumes) to the part of dame, with local vet Peter Stubbington bringing villainy to the role of Mephisto. Fairy Goosedown is played by a newcomer to the legue’s stage, in the person of talented singer Holly Howe, while the principal boy and girl, Jack and Jill, are played by Maria Carnegie and Jayne Marling, both well known to Buxton audiences through their performances with the award-winning Shakespeare Jukebox.

Holly Howe as Fairy Goosedown and Peter Stubbington as Mephisto.

Mother Goose will be performed at the Burbage Institute, Nursery Lane, Buxton on January 31 at 7.30pm, February 1 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, February 7 at 7.30pm and February 8 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets are available now from Burbage News, Clowes the Chemist and Scrivener’s Bookshop. For Friday performances, if you buy one children’s ticket, you get a second free.