Sally Potter and the Trousers of Evil

Blakeney Players in yet another amazing extravaganza of a production which was enjoyed immensely by all in the packed hall.  I do not know how writer/director Ralph Wiggins has such a fertile and innovative imagination to come up with such a zany story-line as ‘Sally Potter and the Trousers of Evil’ and provide such fun and opportunity for so many named characters on stage.

This is such a friendly and very talented group that it would be wrong to try to pick out each outstanding performance as all so good, we all have our special favourites and moments to watch and appreciate in a special evening’s entertainment. I read the cast list in the programme and know that it will work with the usual suspects in song, duets, and full company in voice plus the excellent tappers/dancers who delight us each year. Opening number of full song and dance sets the high bar standard for the rest of the show. And the now special harmony singing finale first act did not disappoint with a huge rendition of ‘Help!’

Who would think of the Village of Merryberry, a peaceful haven celebrating the award of gold medal to master baker, as a possible scene of mayhem and then huge tragedy: certainly not the named characters in the town of Crier and Mayoress and Jollygood the baker and Postman and Sirius Lee, and Sally Potter plus all the others, but a spell struck and misery resulted. Escape to find help through Dingley Dell where we met Alice the listener with Carol and Lewis the Men in Black, and off down the Rabbit hole to Panto-land. And here we met all the main characters from so many pantomimes, Snow White, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Goldilocks, Giant Dumbledore and others, plus Nelson and John McEnroe! And including a Rees-Mogg Genie, very different! Suffice it to say that all these helpers managed to stabilise the story and eventually settle the pace through song and dance and quips. What fun it must be to have a role in this show where everyone has their moment and all are valued for their talents.

As usual the musical accompaniment excellent, not with-standing the plaster-cast and wheel-chair for Gill Mellor on piano, with friends in the pit.

Again the sets quite excellent with several very clever changes and showing once more the talents of the painters and great ingenuity and imagination.  We had the ‘helicopter’ sequence during the summer production (nominated for technical in 5), but this time a Tiger Moth on stage for the cast rescue plus the ‘mini’ to fly across the stage to save the day!

I look forward to the Blakeney invitation with great anticipation for a perfect evening and never been disappointed, if anything the feeling is better than expected. May you go on from strength to strength giving such pleasure to so many people.

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