Last Panto in Little Grimley

Thank you for inviting me to your production of Last Panto in Little Grimley and well done on getting this production onto the stage in only six weeks! In the play, we are introduced to the four members of a rather unsuccessful amateur dramatic group. Failing audiences have resulted in Chairman Gordon taking drastic action to save the group by writing a pantomime for them to perform which is a little more risqué than the others were expecting. The four actors clearly understand their parts and delivered them in a suitably tongue in cheek manner so that they were ‘am dram stereotypes’ without being over the top. 

The first act would bring deja vous to anyone who has tried to arrange rehearsals and the cast had great comic timing. The slapstick elements of the final scene and the ensuing chaos seemed a little uncontrolled, but the cast just about held it together and there were some lovely comedy moments. Bernard sawing the tail off the cat costume as Joyce sat on his plank of wood and Gordon and Bernard cavorting around the stage as a pantomime horse that couldn’t see where it was going were hilarious and well managed.

The box set was well designed with a half built set and was lit with a warm wash and with no areas of shadow. The lighting effects and clever use of well positioned spots as the bulbs blew was brilliantly done and very well synchronised with the excellent crackling sound effects.

Congratulations to the team for ‘getting the show on the road’ in such a short time and for bringing Little Grimley to Mortimer. 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.