Oh Yes They did!!!

Samaritans sometimes have to do strange things to raise money. Chesterfield Branch put on a pantomime...Oh no they didn't...Oh yes they did!!

It was not our first foray into panto. Two years ago we did one called 'Emberella', written by Tony, one of our volunteers with a flair for comedy. It was a great success and made us ï¿½1600. So we decided to have another go, this time choosing an established favourite, 'Aladdin'.

We had been lucky enough to have the help of a local amateur group, the Hasland Theatre Company, when we did 'Emberella'. Not only did they let us use their theatre, but they also provided invaluable technical assistance with lighting, sound and stage management. We couldn't have been too much of a disaster, because when we approached them to ask if we could do 'Aladdin', they agreed, although this time the amount of rehearsal time they could give us on stage was very limited.

We began rehearsing in September, using a room kindly loaned by a local church, but we were plagued by problems. The theatre could not spare any of their flats, so we had to build them ourselves and paint them in my garage. Several key members of the original cast dropped out for various reasons, and others had to be dragged in kicking and screaming to replace them. At one time we came very close to packing it all in, but thankfully we didn't.

The opening night was a dress rehearsal in front of an audience, and like all dress rehearsals it was a comedy of errors. However, the audience enjoyed it and the cast gained confidence. Each night was better than the one before, and on the fourth and final night it was a triumph.

Full marks for the success of this show must go to Allan. He not only directed it but also played Widow Twanky, a hugely demanding role, but one which he carried off brilliantly. He brought out all the humour of the script with his falsetto voice and perfect timing, but he also had the confidence to ad lib, and his asides to the audience caused as much hilarity as the script itself.

Most of the cast were listening volunteers, including Jane, the Branch Director, who played a convincingly evil Won Tun, but we were also helped out by family and friends. Aladdin was played by Callum, the son of Sue, a professional actor with roles in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale to his credit. Nadia, niece of Chris (the genie of the ring), played Princess Martini, and Sue, a friend of Denise (sound effects), played Inspector Chou and the Major Domo. Ten-year-old Matthew, son of Mark (Wishy Washy) was the genie of the lamp.

Several other children took part, recruited and very well trained by Julie and her daughter. They were marvellous. Despite all the late nights (and having to go to school the next day), they sang, they danced, they coped with all the costume changes and never fluffed a line or missed a cue. Real professionals!

Then there were all the other helpers, without whom the show could not have happened: the scenery painters, the costume makers, the make-up artists, the programme sellers and the providers of refreshments. Paul did all the sound effects, together with Denise, and Peter, the theatre's technical expert, did the lighting. Derek from the theatre was the stage manager.

The panto was a great success. As well as making a handsome profit (just short of ï¿½2000) for the branch, it brought lots of people together in a real team effort. It took a huge amount of time and hard work (and everyone did their listening duties as well as attending rehearsals) but it was well worth it. Would we do it again? Well, once a year is perhaps a bit too much, but next year, who knows!

Malcolm