A mum-to-be gave birth two weeks early – after her labour started because she laughed so hard at a Christmas PANTO.
Kirsty Reed, 30, went with her husband Matthew to see Cinderella featuring Gok Wan.
She laughed so much she induced contractions – and was rushed to hospital to give birth to her son who she has named Ruben.
Now Kirsty, from Plymouth, Devon, believes that laughter and happiness encouraged baby Reuben to enter this world early.
The performance on Sunday, December 20, involved a lot of audience participation, and Kirsty was singing, cheering, and clapping alongside the other guests.
Baby Reuben was not due until January 2, but quickly rushed into this world after hearing Gok Wan’s infectious rendition of the ‘Fairy Gokmother’.
The pantomime was held at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, and the staff are delighted to have played a part in the birth of baby Reuben.
Kirsty, who works at Devonport dockyard, said: “I laughed all the way through, and I think the enjoyment and laughed helped to bring him into the world.
“From the start to finish it was absolutely brilliant.
“Paul Zerdin who plays Buttons was so funny; we just giggled like children the whole way through.
“There was a lot of audience participation, we were joining in, singing, clapping, having a great time and I’m sure that’s what started it.
“Earlier I had said to Matt, ‘My waters are going to break soon, it’s not going to be long’.
“I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions into the late stages anyway, but this was a bit different.
“I was a bit uncomfortable when we left the theatre, getting cramps, but no sooner had we got in that I was getting pains and my waters broke.”
The hospital delivery went smoothly, and both mother and son are doing well.
Kirsty said that in the future she will tell Ruben the story of how he came into the world, saying he is “my very own panto baby“.
She said: “We go to the panto every year, and we will continue to go with him in the future.”
A spokesperson for the Theatre Royal said: “All the staff at Theatre Royal Plymouth are delighted to hear of the birth of baby Ruben and the cast of Cinderella are thrilled to have played a part in the happy event.”
The production of Cinderella features fashion-guru Gok Wan and comedy ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, and follows the regular rags-to-riches story of the classic fairy tail.
But instead of a Fairy God Mother, Gok Wan has made the role his own, and plays the Fairy Gok Mother.
