Sinbad The Sailor

A warm welcome was received from Chairman Kate Gale and Director Jackie Manktelow. With members assisting, Kate was also responsible for the nautical to palace set designs, painting beautiful palm trees and large urns, the ships wheel, and for making her debut in the technical department, assisting Dan Godfrey and Ray Hodges on Lighting and Sound! 

We set sail from the ‘An ker Inn’ for Sinbad’s 8th voyage with a blue front cover A5 programme created by Kate Gale, with clear, readable cast characters, a colourful rogues’ gallery, full on camel curry. We were on the trail of the Persian Pearl of Peace in the company of Norma Snickers and daughter Silly Sally, The Caliph, Grand Wazir, Princess Miranda, Prince Said, Trace & Snaffle a couple of debt collectors. ‘Good’ in the guise of Fortuna with ‘evil’ in both Evilvena and Old Man of the Sea, with other wonderful characters as Tinbad the Tailor, Winbad the Whaler and Jinbad the Jailer to name but a few!! 

The Black Goddess –  face of doom Evilvena was performed by Pippa Shepherd, now quite the expert baddie with a great cackle of laughter who eventually got her comeuppance. Sarah Champneys as Fortuna clad in beautiful silver/white costume, wove her good magic enabling Sinbad to become rich and marry Princess Miranda. Trevor Pritchard took to playing in true panto tradition, landlady Norma Snickers with ease – terrific makeup including huge lashes, outrageous frocks but it was those silver shoes that were so perfect as was his rendition of ‘I feel like a Woman’, most convincing! Trace and Snaffles namely Laura Gale and B. Jeal played fine debt collectors, were well turned out with white blouses and black waistcoats with contrasting red and white pants and skirt. Silly Sally – a little short of brain power - was enthusiastically, scattily played by agile M. Jeal, and thank goodness her bucket was full of foam! Young Max Champneys held the sale of Slaves and made a particularly fine auctioneer.  Al Richardson appeared in many guises, whilst Lizzie May appeared as The Calipha, Ruby Heath Jinbad the Jailer with Millie Kay Winbad the Whaler.

Stalwarts Toby Champneys played a gold cladded Caliph, Ollie Pierce as Prince Said wore an authentic jellabiya with black and white kufiya looked quite regal and sang an impressive solo, with Richard Pierce playing the comic Dame’s suitor Tinbad the Tailor. Nick Jeal opened the proceedings with aplomb in his role as the Grand Wazir with a very Grand Staff with Clive Moores almost unrecognisable as the baddie Old Man of the Sea, did his best to have his wicked way with the Princess but of course failing! 

Music was from tracker tape and these generally worked well, if sometimes slight hesitation on some introductions.  Good harmony and some strong vocals, with particular mention to Paul Desrosiers performing a dashingly attired, well-cast Sinbad.  

The Kids Chorus were a credit – dressed so well by Naomi Berwick, did the company proud and so encouraging for the future.

Jackie Manktelow once more with her hard work and dedication achieved a good result, with an added bonus of new members to strengthen existing membership.  The expertise of Anneka Bones not only performing an excellent Princess role, but her choreography skills gave an extra dimension, achieving well-rehearsed movement from the company. We enjoyed sand dancing, shimmy, rock, rap, the twist to name but a few. The cast were supervised by Stage Manager Naomi Berwick plus assistant Anne Bassett, whilst behind her screen Sheila Gault kept a tight grip on the script with a little nudge here and there! Fine entertainment in friendly company – an overall colourful, wonderfully corny seasonal production.

 

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