Written by Val Prior
Directed by Val Prior
Warm Glow from Players' Panto
One can never tell what is going to happen at a pantomime, but a fire alarm during the Saturday evening performance of Aladdin at Medstead was going a bit too far.
Fortunately, nobody was hurt and the audience filed out quietly without panic and any people who were unable to see the repeat performance on the following weekend were offered a refund of ticket money.
This was the first time that the Medstead Players had put on a panto and it received an enthusiastic reception.
The performance was a personal triumph for Val Prior, who wrote the script, helped with the choreography and produced a really cracking show. She was well supported by a large cast, which included a chorus of 13 young people, many of whom were appearing on the stage for the first time.
The show opened with all the children trooping down the aisles carrying lighted lanterns and making their way to the stage. Aladdin, played by Lyn Haydon, was charming, long-legged, and dashing, and was followed by his faithful cat, presumably a refugee from another well-known pantomime. The cat was Ann Penn, frisky and kittenish, alternately fierce and coy, and as light on her feet as a ballet dancer.
The laughter came freely in the Chinese laundry with the outrageous Stan Whitcher as Widow Twanky, cracking all the familiar gags, and a number of new ones.
The final disappearance of the Emperor, Mike Overy, through the rollers of the old fashioned hand mangle and his subsequent 're-inflation' brought the house down.
Princess Jenni, Kerry Yarnley, arrived in state to create the love interest, and the entry of the wicked Abanazar was suitably greeted with eerie noises off stage and loud claps of thunder. Ron Whitcher made a most convincing villain, full of strange oaths and alarming gestures.
Before the interval, Widow Twanky and Dolally, the cat, encouraged children from the audience to join them on the stage to help with some choruses. Their reactions to Stan Whitcher's good natured banter provided plenty of laughter from the audience and from the children.
Aladdin's cave was cunningly and effectively contrived at the side of the stage.
There were, deservedly, many encores, and the show was well staged, original, and excellently produced. The script was amusing with several sly references to local people and events. It was clean, clever, and colourful, with few television jokes being brought in and no sudden breaking off into modern pop songs.
The whole show gave as much fun for the adults as it did for the children.
Other members of the cast not already mentioned included the Grand Vizier, Katherine Reader; Palace Guards, David Clapham and Alan Ringrose; Wishee Washee, Katherine Whitcher; Genie of the Ring, Sue Walker; newspaper reporter, Pam Kercher; and the oriental dancers, Lydia Winter, Octavia Winter, Ros Kercher, Joanne Smith, Heather Riddock, Veryan Cornelius, Nichola Cockram, Racher Harsant, Richard Emmence, Bradley Prior, Peter Prior; musicians, Nancy Kaluza, Fred Cool and Peter Gibson.
A fire was narrowly averted at Medstead Village Hall on Saturday evening during the performance of the Medstead Players' pantomime "Aladdin".
During the tea interval several members noticed a smell of burning and on further investigation it was found that a cable in the electricity meter box in the foyer was smouldering. Quick action was taken and the electricity immediately switched off.
Unfortunately it was impossible to continue with the performance in such circumstances.
Club chairman Mr. Mike Clapham explained the position to the sympathetic audience and told them that the panto would be staged again for them at no extra charge on Sunday, December 12th at 8 p.m. Anyone unable to return on that evening could have their ticket money refunded.
The following morning an official from the SEB who examined the cable located the fault in their electricity supply to the village hall. Repairs were carried out by them on the same day.
Aladdin - Lyn Haydon
Widow Twanky - Stan Whitcher
Emperor - Mike Overy
Princess Jenni - Kerry Yarnley
Abanaza - Ron Whitcher
Grand Vizier - Katherine Reader
Wishee Washee - Katherine Whitcher
Genie of the Ring - Sue Walker
Newspaper Reporter - Pam Kercher
Palace Guards - David Clapham and Alan Ringrose
Dolally the Cat - Ann Penn
Oriental Dancers - Lydia Winter, Octavia Winter, Ros Kercher, Joanne Smith, Heather Riddock, Veryan Cornelius, Nichola Cockram, Racher Harsant, Richard Emmence, Bradley Prior, Peter Prior
