Local pantomime Dick Whittington was the choice for nearly 100 people on Saturday, December 2, when they ditched Strictly for a local amateur production in Bishampton Villages Hall.

The Show – possibly one of the earliest pantomimes in the county - was the finale of three performances staged by Bishampton Amateur Players this weekend, and only the second they had put on in two years – last year’s being Aladdin.

The usual toe-curling jokes, traditional sing-a-longs, a bit of slapstick, romance, and the triumph of good over evil was the successful formula for drawing in hundreds of people to make the event an overwhelming success.

After months of rehearsals, the audience were rewarded with two hours of non-stop entertainment, enhanced by a brand new sound and lighting system which has recently been installed in the venue.

Bishampton Amateur Players perform one pantomime a year in early December and are keen to involve new people of all ages to get involved in all elements of the stage production from back-stage crew including props, costume and make-up, to those wishing to try their hand at treading the boards.

Director, Mark, who lives in Bishampton, said: “Most of our members are amateurs with just a handful of seasoned professionals on hand to give advice, so if anyone feels they are curious, I would be delighted to talk to them about how they would want to get involved.

“We start rehearsals in the summer and then step up the frequency in September with next year’s production scheduled for the first weekend in December.”

Anyone interested should email pantobishampton@btinternet.com

Lesley Miller