Preston Musical Comedy Society’s Christmas Pantomime to 2022 is Mother Goose possibly the oldest panto story of them all.

Mother Goose is about to be thrown off her land because she cannot pay the Squire and his Bailiffs the rent. Along comes Priscilla the goose. Mother Goose loves her as a friend and doesn’t know the good fairy has sent her to help Mother Goose. Priscilla lays golden eggs, and Mother Goose is rich. Along comes the Demon of Discontention. He has a bet with the fairy. He claims there is no-one on earth who is happy with what they have got- no one is content. They want more. The fairy Disagrees, and uses Mother Goose as an example of goodness.

The Demon of Discontention tempts Mother Goose with the one thing she doesn’t have- youth and beauty. He persuades her to give him Priscilla in exchange for a visit to the “Pool of Beauty”. She gives him Priscilla, and enters the pool, emerging as (she thinks) a beautiful woman.

All her friends don’t like her now- they want the old Mother Goose back. Too late she realises that beauty is NOT everything, and that she must get Priscilla back. Then the adventure really begins.