A GROUP has been working since October to bring pantomime to Wokingham.
Their seasonal show is almost ready to perform, and the cast are excited to share their work.
The brainchild of Bart Lee, Wokingham Pantomime is a company of local children and adults who get together to bring the joy of panto to the community.
The group was founded in 2018, when Bart noticed a gap in the theatre scene and suggested to (the company’s now producer) Stan Hetherington that they should put on a Christmas show.
After their first year performing in the Council Chamber at Wokingham Town Hall, the group have settled at The Whitty Theatre, where, presumably there is more room to throw custard pies.
“We have 15 in the cast this year, a mix of adults, teens and children from nine years,” says Stan.
“It’s been a lot of fun preparing for the show.”
“It’s a real community event with different organisations and family members coming together to help.
“My wife has a great team of seamstresses who have produced some fabulous costumes.
“They particularly love to dress our panto dame, Michael.
“He usually has a pair of panto bloomers, but he also has a beard this year, which should be interesting.”
Other groups are supporting the event, too.
A member of the Rock Choir is assisting with the café in the interval, Wokingham Lions will be running a stall, and parents and friends will be working hard behind the scenes.
“Young people who joined us in the first year come back time and again,” says Stan.
“Toni, our Dick Whittington, was a cow in her first panto with us, and is now taking the lead role.”
Dick Whittington will soon be accompanied by his cat as he makes his way to find his fortune in London town, in a pantomime that is definitely a show for all the family.
It contains plenty of panto traditions, awful jokes, locally relevant ones too, a silly song or two, and plenty of actors let loose on the audience.
But there will be no smutty jokes.
“It’s a really traditional panto, and we want it to be suitable for everyone,” says Stan.
Stan has a role this year, as town crier.
He has been allowed to borrow the real Wokingham town crier’s costume for the event.
“People will love our Polly’s pie making machine, but I will be making very sure that the costume and I will be keeping our distance from any custard pies that may be thrown.”
The show will be operating a panto tradition where the actors and the stage management team create confusion for one another during one of the performances.
And another surprise people can look out for, is spotting the special guest stars, all of whom have been involved in some way, as they have their brief moment on stage.
Wokingham Pantomime’s show is performed at The Whitty Theatre, on Thursday, December 29 and Friday December, 30.
Performances on both days are at 1pm and 5pm.
Tickets cost £19 for adults, and £16 for children.
For information and tickets log onto: www.ticketsource.co.uk
For more information about Wokingham Pantomime visit the group’s Facebook page.
