Sinbad Saves The Day - The Pantomime

Front of house was, as always, welcoming and the auditorium was jollied up for the occasion. An audience of 75 was suitably enthusiastic with the usual pantomime responses.

The programme was informative and not overblown. It had three separate NODA logos!

The music was recorded and extremely varied. The show opened with a Bollywood-style musical number, very slick, and over the course of the evening there was a balletic number performed immaculately to Dance Macabre, a sea shanty style number a la Gilbert and Sullivan and a brilliant nod to the legendary sand dance as performed by Wilson Kepple and Betty .

The sets were good and slickly rotated. The ship was suitably impressive enabling the comings and goings of passengers and crew seamlessly.

The costumes and makeup were excellent and were obviously the result of a lot of forethought.

The musical numbers would have benefited from the use of head mics.

A standout performance from George Sales as Mani who was totally comfortable whether interacting with the audience, singing or just being an accomplished performer.

Edward Nash as the Sultan (the villain of the piece) played the part to perfection, and his other appearance as a drunken sailor was splendid.

Paul Stevens as the dame wasn't at his best but nevertheless an integral part of the pantomime.

The three sandmen, Mark Williams, Pat Suttman and Trish McCann, with the sandance were an extremely funny and a well-rehearsed addition to the show.

Mica Sampson and Maddy Reeves as the dancing skeletons were a joy to watch.

Full credit must go to Gwen Stevens for her writing and directing of this seasonal offering.

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