Gallus in Weegieland – Tron Theatre

What a way to kick off panto season!  Gallus in Weegieland at The Tron theatre is glam, gorgeous, and very glaswegian.  Expecting the typical tired panto schtick and gags, I was very gladly mistaken – this is a panto that cares.  With an actually engaging storyline accompanied by original songs by Ross Brown (who’s multi-tasking and multi-instrumentalism in playing the score was incredibly impressive), I was grinning from ear to ear.

Based on Alice in Wonderland, we saw Alice (Jorgey Scott-Learmonth) embark on a quest to find love, inspiration, and bravery in Weegieland in order to pass her ballet exam back on earth.  Of course, it wouldn’t be a panto without an evil queen and Queenie of Hearts, Louise McCarthy did not disappoint.  If Elaine C. Smith was high-kicking and disgruntled, she wouldn’t be far off of McCarthy, who certainly was the queenie of our hearts.  And with the bold stage presence of McCarthy, she needed the gowns to match, and that they did.  Kenny Miller’s design was the perfect fit for this weird and wonderful world.  The whole cast were decked out in grand and glittery outfits so good it was like panto couture.  Each costume was so playfully silly, for example, in an ode to Glasgow neds, the citizens of Weegieland were decked out from head to toe in Burberry.  I especially enjoyed the playful textures used in the costume design, most notably in the wigs.  From red silicone-like bobs to a dazzling gemstone bob, there were a number of fierce bobs in this show and that is something I can always get behind.  The set design too was quite a marvel – it was really quite unbelievable how many set changes there were on that tiny stage.  Using black and white stripes and checkers as the base, we were transported down the psychedelic rabbit hole. There was even an homage to the Barrowlands with an imitation of its infamous neon sign.  From the queenie’s whimsical tea party, to her execution chamber, it really was a shock every time the black and white curtains opened to reveal each new location.

The whole cast were such a joy to watch – all serving larger-than-life characters with heart.  Marc Mackinnon as Honey the “psychic” Caterpillar was in close competition with the Queenie for biggest diva, gliding about the stage with her unbothered air – who would’ve thought a caterpillar could be camp?  It was very exciting to see Catriona Faint as the Hatter, with Faint being a very up-and-coming actor in the Scottish scene.  They combined the classic, twitchy nervousness of the Mad Hatter, with the boyish and dimwitted charm of the panto loon.  The Knavey of Hearts (Star Penders) made for an adorable yet crude love interest, but Penders delivery was so sweet we really did want him and Alice to be end game.  Scott-Learmonth as Alice made for an endearing couple with Penders, both playing child-like characters, getting the balance between whiny and cute just right.  As a recent graduate of the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, it was refreshing to see a young actor such as Learmonth break into the scene, and boy does she have some chops!

Johnny McKnight’s writing, and Sally Reid’s Direction really come together to redefine what a pantomime can be – this was an artful and beautifully stylised panto with real vision.  The production feels totally new and exciting, with something for everyone – for some reason I went into this thinking it would be totally not child-friendly, but that wasn’t the case at all!  I can confidently say this is the best panto I have seen thus far – Dare to Dream (the penultimate number) is going to be stuck in my head until Christmas comes around!

Playing until 4th January 2026, https://www.tron.co.uk/shows/gallus-in-weegieland/

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed: 21st November 2025

North West End UK Rating: