Anna Burnside begins a new series of reviews by mentoring Strathclyde University students. This first review has contributions from Rosie Bell, Nathan Breen, Santiago Parra-Whitehead, Madeline Watson.
Lady Titania of Townhead wants to turn Glasgow’s children into vermin using a box of cursed chocolates. Thankfully Shuggie, a dunderheaded delinquent in a retina-searing shell suit, Carlotta Kelvinbridge, a naive, West End posho and Dame Anita Whizzwazz are there to save the weans.
Ms Whizzwazz, an unlikely PE teacher played in high drag queen style by Neil John Gibson, works at Carlotta’s prestigious academy and is the primary comic relief of the panto.
His hilarious and dirty crowd work adds audience participation and organic humour. He has the best one-liners as well as a potential lumber - retired Gordon who was with his wife in the front row.
Karen Fishwick does a solid job as Carlotta, based heavily on Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. The private school princess’s big number about studying law at Glasgow Uni and settling down in Bearsden, is a highlight.
Much of the show’s heavy lifting is done by Carmen Pieraccini, who marries Maleficentesque menace with gallus Glaswegian wit. She also pivots from baddie to the dishevelled former panto fairy who finally saves the day when she remembers the correct spell.
There are pop culture references, from Saltburn and Ozempic to Gary Barlow’s son, and a fair amount of smut.
The set is fairly basic, but designer Kenny Miller makes the most of the poky space. The plot is a bit thin—it’s not entirely clear what the motive of our villain is or what many of the character’s relationships are.
Weans in the Wood(lands) is a light-hearted, low budget production with quite a lot of cheese and no intention of exploring the darker heart of the story. But it also rhymes charcuterie with footery, so we can let them off.
Weans in the Wood(lands) performs at Oran Mor until January 5, 2025. For further details, go to the venue’s website.
Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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