Josh Glanc’s Pig is neither nice nor Jewish, but he sure is good at being bad. He looks and acts the part of the unapologetic, unscrupulous entrepreneur to perfection; expensively and nattily dressed, putting his feet up on his desk. Making it clear he’ll stop at nothing to cash in on the search for renewables, he is the natural antithesis of Red. He literally sniffs out a unique source of energy emanating from Mother Hoodman. All those sweet and savoury staples of Jewish cuisine, from latkes (potato pancakes) to jammy Hanukkah doughnuts, produces a flatulence that (literally) blows him away. All he has to do is harness Mother Hoodman’s wind and he’s onto a mega moneymaker. So the fight is on and the laughs come thick and fast.
There’s a classic ‘behind you’ chase featuring Red, Wolf and a traditional white-sheeted ghost, plus enthusiastic participation from a family audience, ranging from tinies to bubbahs, climaxing with the lusty bawling of “Smelly bum bum bum” (to the tune of the William Tell Overture). And, in best panto tradition, there’s even a puppet character – Ratticus the Rat Cab Driver, ready to offer his services and outsmart the Uber drivers.
