I’ve been meaning to see the St Andrew’s Pantomime since I moved to Beeston but I’ve always left it too late. I’d heard it was good but my previous experience of amateur dramatics has been mixed. And I have memories of taking part in Cinderella when a vicar in Seacroft – we enjoyed doing it but I’m not sure about the audience…
So last Saturday night (21 January 2017) I walked down to St Andrew’s not sure what I’d find. Bumping into a neighbour in the Co-op I told her where I was off to. Her eyes lit up – she’d been that afternoon and praised the performance: wonderful costumes, she added. Good start, I thought.
And I wasn’t disappointed. The costumes were amazing, but they weren’t the only great thing about this excellent production. A cast of nearly 40, from tinies to significantly older actors, gave us a massively enjoyable evening. The participation and applause showed how much everyone, including the cast, was enjoying themselves, and the audience had an even greater age range. It’s good to see younger ones involved, and there is great potential for future leading actors.
There were too many good performances to mention them all, though I particularly enjoyed the delightful genie, and the policemen added to the laughter. I commend the choreographer – the dancing was excellent. I’d like to thank the whole back stage team, musicians, and front of house folk; a production like this is a huge team effort. Your hard work showed in the professionalism of the production.
If I was to be nitpicking I could mention that some voices were a little hard to hear, but this in no way took away from the enjoyment. The action was fast paced and visual which kept our interest, and the story was easy to follow.
So my verdict? When does booking open for next year – I’ll definitely want tickets!
The run continues this week:
- Tues 24 January 7pm
- **Thur 26 January 7pm**
- Fri 27 January 7pm
- Sat 28 January 2pm
- Sat 28 January 7pm
** Thursday 26th January – BSL Signed Performance for the Hearing Impaired
Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for children and are available by contacting the box office on 07443 571868; or emailing: standrewspantogroup@hotmail.com; or visit www.standrewspanto.uk
This post was written by Lindsey Pearson using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
