Mama G (who we were lucky enough to chat to on our YouTube channel, which you can listen to here) brought all the magic of the pantomime to the Gilded Balloon in a camp, family-friendly adventure into the power of books! Complete with fantastic musical numbers, brilliant puppetry, mesmerising storytelling, audience participation (as any good pantomime does) and, of course, fabulous costumes, Mama G’s The Magic Bookmark encourages audiences to love not only themselves but also others!
The audience are tasked with joining Mama G on her adventure to save her beloved books after the villainous Bookworm has removed all the books they think should not be openly available or read. For the younger audience members, this is an exciting quest to overcome the aforementioned evil-doer, but for the more mature people in attendance, it is a commentary on not only censorship but also the rise in the crazy protests against drag storytime events and society’s understandable need to eradicate queer-centric media, especially in libraries or schools. Those who are even just a little bit familiar with Mama G and her celebrations of pantomime all year round will be aware that she has had multiple conflicts with communities and councils for simply wanting to share her important messages of self-love and acceptance with young people. This production is a striking reminder of why these sorts of events need to take place!
On top of highlighting the importance of experiencing a range of inclusive media and, in particular, literature, the show itself is a short, fun-filled exploration of why the art form of pantomime is one of the dearest British traditions. Mama G has included a plethora of musical numbers throughout the show (which you can actually listen to on Spotify here), which is an obvious nod to the classic pantomimes that, as a nation, we have come to cherish! One of my favourite numbers throughout the whole show is the wonderfully joyous “I Like Books”, which talks about a collection of Mama G’s personal favourite books, including Elma, Pink Flamingos and, most importantly for the solo performer, J.D. Lapinski’s Jaime, which they actually appear in. Seeing Mama G highlight these, at times, nostalgic stories is not only a hook for the older people in the audience (and the younger ones who are or have read these books), but also promotes a range of queer-inclusive stories that could be an inspiration for adults to read or share with their children when they are at an appropriate age. This is not only great for the adults but also can only benefit the writers of the books listed. The show also contains a recurring motif of the “Travel Song” to help transition to and from new locations. As, apart from an onscreen graphic, there are no other indications of moving locations, this helps the audience easily follow along while also harking back to classic pantomimes. Every show I have personally ever seen contains a song that the audience learns alongside the performers and is encouraged to sing along with. As the name itself suggests, the show is spearheaded by a magic bookmark who helps Mama G on her quest to find the missing books, adding yet another element of theatricality to the show, which the queen of panto deals with flawlessly. The bookmark is also controlled by the solo performer. During a section of the show, Mama G places the bookmark down against her beloved bookshelf, only for the eyes of this anthropomorphic piece of stationery to not only continue talking but also move, scanning the theatre as if they themselves are looking for the missing books. This was incredible!
In classic pantomime style, there are also ample opportunities for young people in the audience to physically get involved (instead of the call-and-response or singing throughout), with certain audience members being invited onto the stage to take part in a series of activities to help locate the stolen books. At one point in the show, someone is brought up onto the stage to support Mama G in one of her iconic storytimes, but the words in the book have suspiciously disappeared, and so they must help recover the missing content. While this is happening, Mama G showcases a fantastic magic trick, showing the audience that the book is completely blank, only for the words to reappear once the special guest has used magic to retrieve them. This must have been incredibly intricate and complex for Mama G to balance a new guest and the amazing trick at the same time, showing how truly professional and talented she is, while also allowing the children to feel directly involved in the show. Later in the story, another special guest from the audience is brought up to join Mama G to take part in a hook-a-duck game, where another clue has been hidden by the evil Bookworm. Seeing a child glow with excitement after they had directly helped Mama G with her quest was an absolute testament to how involved and engaged they were, and I can only imagine everyone else would feel exactly the same!
In conclusion, The Magic Bookmark by Mama G is a joyous celebration of not only the importance of queer media in society but also the need for pantomimes all year round, making it perfect for the whole family. With amazing musical numbers, audience participation and even an underpinning message of inclusiveness, every single person can take something away from the show and, if nothing else, will be encouraged to go out and be a more empathetic and kinder person in their day-to-day life. Mama G is a one-person pantomime machine, blending multimedia, musical numbers, puppets and even storytimes throughout her show, meaning there is not one single point where the audience becomes restless. This is no easy feat, especially when you are in attendance with very young children. Continuing to establish herself as not only an incredibly talented performer but also an unstoppable ambassador for the power of books and pantomime ensures this show is not just joyous and entertaining but also has a powerful message for the more mature people in the audience to take with them outside the walls of the Teviot. I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!
Rhysreviews 