Brian Beacom

IT’S PANTO time. Oh yes it is. So forget the drizzle of incessant summer rain and dreary politics.

Come to a world where politicians are laughed at, a world in which men play rather ugly women and women dressing up as small boys.

Sometimes wooden.

Oran Mor’s summer panto is back with us and this time around we’re being treated to Punocchio.

The story reveals that Pinocchio has come to realise that lying is nothing special these days – politicians and bankers continue to spread fake new.

So he decides to re-brand and make his way in the world as a comedian.

The wooden puppet with the expanding snozzle launches himself as Punocchio.

But does the world laugh with him – or at him?

And as the title suggests, writer Gary McNair is determined this will be a pun-fest.

The panto stars Kirstin McLean, who’s something of an Oran Mor veteran as Hingumy Cricket.

Dave Anderson – who has also written the music plays Dame, Frances Thorburn is Punocchio and Darren Brownlie plays the Fairly Odd Mother.

As always, the Oran Mor panto will be laced by biting satire. Kirstin agrees art has to remind the world how ludicrously our governors can behave.

“Punocchio is trying to function in a mad world,” she says. “But the real world is every bit as mad as Punocchio’s.

“Could you every have imagined the DUP would ever have had so much influence on us? How did it happen? How did we get here?”

But at least satire offers the chance to mock the reality.

“That’s so true. But why are there not protests outside the Houses of Parliament as we speak? Why aren’t young people telling Theresa May what they think?”

Politics has always been part of her life.

“We had a picture of John McLean in our front room when I was a wee girl,” she recalls.

“And I never really liked pop music. We used to listen to protest songs. I guess I’ve always felt a sense of injustice.”

When Kirstin isn’t acting or looking after 18 month-old daughter Frieda, she works for Childline.

But as well as playing a cricket, Kirstin slips into blonde wig to reveal another character.

“I also play Bearis Johnson, a bike riding bear who funny enough has all the characteristics of a Boris Johnson,” she says, grinning.

RSAMD graduate Kirstin has already showed the theatre world her Boris.

“I played a Boris-type at Oran Mor a couple of years ago in the Pie-Eyed Piper of Hamelin.

“I think it’s easy to find my inner Boris. All I have to do is play a bumbling clown.”

She adds; “The real Boris is a figure of fun. He has crazy hair and a funny smile. And he’s always on Have I Got News For You.

“But we have to remember there’s more to him.”

The wider world of politics will be absorbed. “Trump and his solar powered wall is in there,” says Kirstin.

“My only regret in the panto is don’t get to play Theresa May. I could have had real fun with her.”

Punocchio, as you would expect given Frances Thorburn’s singing talents, gets to sing a lot.

But he can’t stop making puns.

“The wooden boy loves to pun. And about seventy five per cent of the jokes are puns,” says Kirstin.

“And some of them are very clever.”

For some, ‘puns’ and ‘clever’ are oxymorons, but let’s suspend judgement and see how it all turns out.

Meantime, Kirstin is having fun with the role.

“I love to see the whites of the audience’s eyes,” she says. “Oran Mor is great for this. You feel so connected.”

And as always, she will give her all.

“Recently I was working at the Lyceum in Douglas Maxwell play,” she says of Charlie Sonata.

“This is the same sort of fun, just in a different way.”

*Punocchio, Oran Mor, until July 22.