This Year's Panto' is
Alice in Wonderland.........
The Dunchurch Pantomaniacs first got together in 1989 and they put on their first pantomime, “Little Miss Muffat”, in January, 1990 in the Dunchurch W.I. Hall.. The original group mainly came from the Dunchurch Festival Committee and although they were very enthusiastic they had little idea on how to produce a show. They were fortunate to get the services of the late Ray Allen as director as he had considerable theatrical experience with Rugby Theatre and The Gang Show. The first show was a great success in that a lot of people came to watch it and those involved really enjoyed the experience. It has been an annual event ever since.
In January 2012 they will put on “Alice in Wonderland” as the 23rd production. The group has moved on considerably in the last 22 years. Things such as lighting, scenery and sound effects have become more sophisticated as the necessary equipment has been acquired over the years. Furthermore, a lot of the original members of the group are still involved and have gained a lot of experience which benefits the present productions.
One of the strong points about the group is that, although a lot of long-serving members are still involved, there is a steady stream of new young people coming in. The Pantomaniacs pride themselves on the opportunities they give for young children to develop their confidence and presentation abilities through the pantomime. This year’s production has seventeen juniors appearing on stage.
The pantomimes have included traditional ones such as “Aladdin”, “Babes in the Wood”, “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty”. There have also been some less conventional ones such as “Old Mother Hubbard” and “Calamity Jane” (which both had wild west backgrounds) “Santa in Space” and “Frankenstein, the Panto”. However, in all of them the constant theme is enjoyment, audience participation and an imported local flavour. They have all been village pantos with members of the audience often finding themselves referred to in an irreverent manner.
The auditions are usually held the first week in October and rehearsals start and are held two nights a week in November. In December a third weekly rehearsal is held usually on a Sunday afternoon and in January a fourth weekly rehearsal on Saturday afternoons is added. It does involve a lot of work and commitment but it is fun. There are also a lot of people involved behind the scenes in such things as make-up, scenery painting, set building, costumes, sound effects and lighting.
DUNCHURCH PANTOMANIACS