Tag: Stratford

Co-written and directed by Vikki Stone and Tonderai Munyevu, the production honours tradition and features local links as a glorious mash-up

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“It’s incredible – fun, exciting and the design is exquisite, based on African designs and prints,” said Tonderai Munyevu.

“Being in the East End is a powerful influence too – it’s a glorious mash-up of so many things and it reflects the local community.” 

We’re sat in a rehearsal room at the end of a labyrinth of cream-painted corridors, safely away from the public’s gaze at Stratford East.

Here, the venue’s latest panto is being forged. Costume designs are stuck up on the walls, keyboards are plugged-in and plastic chairs stand in for scenery.

While the cast pop out for break, there’s no rest for Tonderai and Vikki Stone – co-writers and co-directors of Mama Goose, which is set to open on November 21, 2025.

Instead they must pose for photos and talk up the forthcoming production.

Fortunately, it’s a topic they both clearly relish.

honouring tradition in Mama Goose

“I love panto and I love working with Tonderai,” said Vikki, a multi-faceted artist known for her work as a musician, composer, comedian and actress amongst many other endeavours.

“Over the years I worked out that I’ve been in more than 500 performances.

“I know about audience behaviour, so I understand what it takes as a comedian to make people laugh.

“You don’t have to have been on stage in panto to write one, but I think it gives me a lot of relevant experience.

“Working together, we hope we’re creating something that moves the form along, making it relevant and fresh while still respecting the traditions.

“One of the things I am precious about is the classic set pieces and we don’t mess with them – they’re perfect.

“I like to think that someone who is 85 or 90 could come and see Mama Goose and recognise the rhythm and the jokes they enjoyed as children.

“There are bits you can mess with – and we’ve played around a lot with the story – and bits you can just leave as traditions so they are the same year-on-year.

“I think knowing what those are is part of the job.”

fascinated by the form

While Vikki has a wealth of panto experience behind her (oh yes she has), Tonderai is more of a newcomer to the form – although he has already cut his teeth.

The pair first met in a writer’s room during the pandemic and, when Vikki was asked to write Cinderella for the Lyric Hammersmith in 2023, she put her friend forward to direct, even though she hadn’t mentioned it to him.

“My family were not theatrical, they were more academic but I did go to the theatre when we came to England,” said Tonderai, who grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to the UK with his mother aged 13 and has since pursued a career as a playwright and actor.

“My first experience of panto was taking by sister’s son to see one in Stratford because we felt we should take him.

“I also went to see the production of Aladdin  in 2021 that Vikki wrote.

“I sat there, watched it, and I was a bit astonished – it was completely bonkers and based around the press briefings Boris Johnson was giving at the time. It was really funny.

“I’d done classic theatre as a writer and an actor, Shakespeare, two-handers, and so on, but we didn’t treat audiences the way panto does.

“I was fascinated by it, but never thought I’d be directing – so when it came to doing Cinderella I was terrified but also excited.”

a party, a riot

That thrill persisted and 2025 finds the pair working together again, having pitched their idea to Stratford East. 

“We are having a really great time making Mama Goose – it has to be a fun environment because you can’t fake joy,” said Vikki.

“With panto, we want it to feel like a party, a huge riot where people come in, forget what’s going on in the outside world and have a good time.

“Mother Goose isn’t one of the big four – Aladdin, Cinderella, Jack And The Beanstalk or Dick Whittington.

“It’s known as the ‘dame show’ because all of the others are led by a young hero or heroine who is pursuing love.

“Instead, our show has the dame as the protagonist and it’s not performed as often, partly because there’s no original text – just a set of poems that aren’t very relevant.

“As a panto, it was first performed around 1910 and traditionally it has a moral centre about making good and bad choices – that voice on your shoulder telling you to do good or evil.

“What’s good for us as writers is that there’s no story we have to stick to.

“This gives us enormous licence to simply make things up.”

a story with a message

Collaboration is at the heart of their endeavour with both making varied contributions from their skillsets and experiences.

Tonderai said: “I’m having the time of my life.

“I write plays about people like Mugabe – strong stuff – but with this, I feel liberated and thrilled to learn, watching Vikki navigate the millions of decisions that have to be made to create a show.

“I couldn’t ask for a better education.

“Vikki suggested we do this show and, as we were talking Mother Goose became Mama Goose in deference to African culture.

“Coming from Zimbabwe, that was important to me. 

“We wanted to say things that, if either of us had been writing alone, we couldn’t say, whether that’s about the black community or the East End geezers.

“We’ve created something multi-cultural and really funny.

“It’s a love story – Mama is a wonderful woman who, naturally, loves her geese.

“She loses them and gets a replacement, which gives her all sorts of things she has never dreamt of.

“Instead of getting her old geese back, she goes on a journey where she forgets who she is, but at the end she is reminded of who she was and what it means to be part of a community.”

local links in Mama Goose

As is tradition, Stratford itself plays a significant part in the production, with plenty of references for local audiences to enjoy.

“The shops of Westfield Stratford City feature as well as the trains and the older parts of the area, without giving too much away,” said Vikki.

“Mama’s house is in one of the older Victorian streets near Maryland, for example.

“It’s a huge responsibility because, for some, this could be the only theatrical experience people have over the course of the whole year.

“We need to ensure they have a great time and that it’s a beautiful experience to come to the pantomime.

“It’s also important for the livelihood of the venue so that’s another responsibility.”

Tonderai added: “It’s part of our job to think about the money as well as the audience and that’s a good thing. 

“We want as many people as possible to come and enjoy this and so at the point of creation we’re asking these questions.

“Will people from all backgrounds enjoy this? 

“I did a serious play in the summer, where I played former Kenya president Jomo Kenyatta, and it was amazing to me that all actors had the idea that all they had to do was think about their character.

“It’s bigger than that when you’re telling a story.

“It’s not just your character, it’s your costume, how you interact with the venue, the building, the promotion – it’s all part of the storytelling.

“We are proud to be business-minded, because what’s the point of doing something exquisite that nobody sees?

“The message of Mama Goose is all about coming together and that love is all you need. One of the themes is chosen family – those people you stick with and make the best of things.

“I always worry about kids – there are things happening in the world that are quite scary and there are lots of negative messages.

“That’s why we want them to have a moment of joy when they come to see the show – a moment of feeling togetherness.

“My family, including my nephew, are due to come and see the production, which will be incredible – there will be nothing like that feeling.”

Mama Goose is set to run at Stratford East until January 3.

The panto’s cast includes Duane Gooden in the title role, Charlie Cameron as AI Jill, Mya Fox-Scott as BFF (The Bougie Fierce Fairy), Grace Venus as the Tax Man, Ellie Seaton as WTF (The Wholesome Thoughtful Fairy), Jerome Lincoln as Kay Perry, Marcellus Whyte as Jack Goose and Che Walker as Gary The Goose.

The show also features music by Robert Hyman who also co-wrote lyrics to the songs in the production with Vikki.

key details: Mama Goose at Stratford East

Mama Goose is set to run at Stratford East from November 21, 2025, until January 3, 2026.

Performance times vary. Tickets start at £10, but are selling fast, so book early.

Find out more about the production here

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