Panto scores top marks with young audience (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Panto scores top marks with young audience

4:55pm Wednesday 20th January 2010

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The first of two weekends of Pewsey drama group’s pantomime Cinderella was up to its usual high standard.

It is hoping to have full houses for its show tomorrow (Friday) and matinee and evening performances at the Bouverie Hall on Saturday.

I took along two grandchildren, Tom, 12, and Vicki, nine, and on the way home they both gave the show ten out of ten.

This was a traditional panto, directed by old hand Martin Clifton, and it followed the original story line padded out with lots of local humour. The 16-strong young chorus line was most impressive and the girl dancers wore fairy lights for one magical and memorable scene at the end of the first act when Cinderella’s stagecoach was brought on stage.

Hannah James, who had the lead role, and Rowan Godwin, who played Prince Charming, led a very capable cast with some very good performances from the ugly sisters (Nick Mitchell- Briggs and Darren Little), Buttons (Steve Clements) and from PVADS stalwarts Nettie Powell and John Lavis.

It was good to see Ben Bateman move up from PVADS Youth Theatre to the adult cast and to see Kenny Tasker, who formerly impressed in productions at Pewsey Vale School, playing Nincompoop Bodget with Leggett (Stuart Jackson).

Part of the show’s success was due to its excellent scenery changes, fantastic costumes, superb lighting, having its main characters wired for sound and some pyrotechnics that took the audience by surprise.

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