The wonderful Mama G – aka Robert Pearce – of Petite Pantos fame – is bringing the children’s show The Magic Bookmark to Edinburgh Fringe this year. I had to hear more, so I asked Robert to explain why the show exists and what he looks forward to the most during the Festival.
“Join ‘everyone’s favourite pantomime dame!’ (Metro) and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, Mama G, on an award-winning, panto adventure for the whole family. Book Worm is livid that encyclopaedias give people so much knowledge, so decides to steal all the books from Mama G’s library! Mama G vows to save the day by proving that books can help make the world a better place. But she can’t do it alone! Enter the mysterious and wonderful Magic Bookmark… She needs your help too, to discover why everyone deserves to be part of the story!”
Where: The Den at Gilded Balloon Teviot
When: 5-31 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/mama-g-the-magic-bookmark
What is the show about, and where did the idea come from?
The Magic Bookmark is about inclusion and the power of storytelling.
It’s told in a proper panto style with Mama G (“everyone’s favourite pantomime dame,” according to the Metro, and who am I to argue?) on an adventure to find some books to prove to the villainous Book Worm that the world can be a better place if everyone is included. Along the way she has some help from the eponymous Magic Bookmark, and chaos, comedy, and fabulous songs ensue.
I’ve been a pantomime dame for over twenty years, and I’ve been storytelling for eight of them!
My stories are all about being who you want and loving who you are. As with panto, they’re for people of all ages, but primarily sought out and enjoyed by families. Panto is the love of my life, and I’m really thrilled that I get to use it to share such a positive message.
Unfortunately, as the far-right got its claws into the USA, I noticed people were struggling to understand how I could exist outside of a pantomime context. Whilst I think this is dead daft (on their behalf), it did inspire The Magic Bookmark: a literal panto in which I get to read stories, share a message that I think is incredibly important, and I get to do it all my way!
Now I truly have combined two of my favourite things, and I’m the happiest panto dame in the world!Â
Sell the show to a potential audience in one sentence!
Bring the whole family, and join a Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist for some heart-felt family fun that will have you singing, shouting, and feeling inspired: oh yes it will!
What does the Fringe mean to you, and do you have any particular memories?
The Fringe is about risk-taking.
As a performer, you pit yourself against 1000s of other shows. Do you have what it takes to stand out? Is your story one that people want to hear? And for me personally: is panto fringe-friendly? (There haven’t been many examples of panto in the Fringe’s history.)
For the performer is a chance to see stuff you wouldn’t normally see. You can take a risk on genres you wouldn’t normally choose to watch. For me that might be a production of a Samuel Beckett play, or even a comedian that I’ve not heard of. I love taking flyers for shows that start in ten minutes’ time and going, yeah, come on, let’s see what this is about.Â
The Fringe was one of my first professional experiences after I graduated from drama school (about *coughmumble* years ago.) I had an incredible time performing with my friends, but also saw some extraordinary shows. My standout (and I’m still a big fan of them to this day) was a cabaret duo from New York called Kiki & Herb.
Their show was a revelation to me, and was the start of a wonderfully chaotic night, full of stories that I can’t repeat – even one involving Kiki being her iconic self! Those are the sort of experiences you can only have at Fringe, and I can’t wait to make new crazy memories (for me and others!)
What are you looking forward to in Edinburgh?
I’m looking forward to performing my show lots! It sounds crazy – but I am! The Magic Bookmark has existed for three years, but is performed sporadically; so to get to do it 26 times in a row is going to be an amazing experience. I think it will really help shape the show into something even more extraordinary than it already is!
I’m looking forward to seeing my friends’ shows. Off the top of my head I’ll be going to see Tom Brace, Nerine Skinner, Katie Pritchard, Max Fulham, Madame Chandelier, Gareth P Jones, and Mr Thing! Phew! I’m also looking forward to seeing some shows that are new to me, such as The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth, and The Ghost of White Hart Lane.Â
What’s next for the show?
Well, The Magic Bookmark has lots of potential, I think! You can already listen to the cast recording wherever you stream music, and it’s available on YouTube as a mini-series. It’s playing some lovely theatres too (even one Off-Broadway!), but I’d love it to go to the West End and get even bigger and brighter!
I think it has a really important message, so I want as many people to see it as possible! We all deserve to be told we’re great, and my show will do just that!Â