The Golden Goose

The story based on a Brothers Grimm tale, gives a nod to A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream and touches on some of today’s environmental issues such as saving trees and crop failures through lack of rain.

The plot then is for the central character Dummling, to be given tasks to complete by the King. If he achieves them, he gets to marry the Princess Dajona (Lucy Dixon) and becomes king in due course. Sounds like a plan ...

Ruby Belcher was the lucky Dummling. A polished, confident performance for such a young girl and seemingly generous too, as he shares his supper with Oberon, the disguised Fairy King. In return Oberon gives the Golden Goose to him. The puppet goose was an inspired touch – I think Dummling ‘had a hand in it’!

Sally Lacey played Titania, the Fairy Queen and Oberon was portrayed with gusto by KBDG regular Neil Browning. So the lad decides to take the goose home to his mother, Christina (the excellent Emily Eastham) and brother Boris (Abbie Hale). They try to take the bird, but being magic it tows all three characters off to the palace, where resides King Conrad (Nick Smith) and his daughters Dajona (Lucy Dixon) and Birgit played again so confidently by Rebecca Bellis.

Now Birgit never stops laughing, possibly because of the King’s trousers (!) and Dajona never starts. The first task of our hero is to make Dajona laugh, a job I wouldn’t have fancied I can tell you. However laugh she does when the goose drags its three captives to the palace.

The next test is for Dummling to visit Hermit Siebenstein and get him to come up with a ship that can sail on land or water. Kate Belcher’s Hermit was hysterical and it was quite clear that she revelled in the part and played it with energy and style. An excellent portrayal by Kate who also directed the production.

Anyway, completing the task, Dummling now has to visit the White Witch (Paula Eastwood). I understand she made her own costume – most impressive. She clears Dummling’s face of an outbreak of spots and so he’s all set for his nuptials.

The two wood nymphs that keep popping up where they are not wanted (a bit like Ant & Dec), were enthusiastically played by Abby Hallion-Gammon and Fiona Eaton. Well done to them!

There seemed to be something for everyone in The Golden Goose, even a short wrestling scene for any grappling fans.

The sets were easily the best I’ve seen from the group for some time. Slickly changed, cleverly designed and decorated. I’ll swear I’ve seen the inside décor of the cottage in a David Hockney painting. Congratulations to all concerned.

The story was well told and as for the costumes (except those trousers!), most were made by KBDG and were top notch.

The props were outstanding, especially the pop-up book (Katy Belcher). My favourite prop was the box where the goose laid the eggs. The empty box from where they lift the egg was a trick Derren Brown would have been proud of. Full marks all round KBDG!

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