The princess and the peals of laughter

The Princess and the Goblin Royal Lyceum theatreuntil December 28 4/5 stars The classy Stuart Paterson Christmas show has become a Scottish theatrical certainty, as reliable as the rain-soaked yuletide shopping trip to Princes Street. This year's offering for the Lyceum - an adaptation of one of the lesser-known children's stories - has to be one of his best.

The dubious talents of TV populists whose careers have been stymied by the death of the music hall are not for the Lyceum. If you are looking for a one-size-fits-all, big budget panto with 40-year- old gags and real ponies, you will have to go elsewhere.

This theatre has a tradition of, by turns, exciting, enthralling and outraging children with its festive storytelling. And the current version of The Princess And The Goblin achieves all three in abundance.

Princess Irene is seriously hacked off by the over-protectiveness of her regal, single-parent dad. Forbidden from leaving the castle grounds, accompanied always by her insufferably strait-laced nurse, she craves a bit of freedom, even if that should lead her into the company of the evil, fart-obsessed goblins. Cue the arrival of the malodorous Crown Prince Krankl and his worm-eating goblin parents. As the resulting underground and overground adventures ensue, the brave Irene finds herself assisted by her fearless love interest, Curdie the miner boy.

Hurrah, as ever, for the egalitarian streak in Paterson's Christmas shows. Hurrah, too, for his unfailing confidence in the vulgarity of children. He knows how to animate a young audience. First, you have the baddies proclaim their enduring hatred of kids; and second you include as many jokes about flatulence as humanly possible.

The brilliantly costumed and masked goblins, played fabulously by Shonagh Price, Malcolm Shields and Alec Westwood, have an unlimited supply of quips about coughing in your trousers, to the evident delight of the assembled little ones. Andrew Clark impresses as a swashbuckling Curdie, even if Clare Yuille's Princess could do with being a bit more feisty.

Director Tony Cownie's production is the first Christmas show I've seen this year. Overflowing with humour, bursting at the seams with slapstick and packed full of really good storytelling, it will be hard to beat.

Copyright 2003 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.