Group's 25th birthday panto to be a Beauty
A pantomime group which has entertained hundreds of people with classic fairytales of good versus evil is set to stage its 25th anniversary production.
In 1988 a group of amateur dramatics enthusiasts in the village of Lilleshall, near Newport, dreamt of staging a panto.
Slips of paper were pushed through people's doors to gauge interest, and just a few months later the Lilleshall Pantomime and Drama Group was born. Over the years the productions have become ever more ambitious as the actors tackled classics including Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk.
And now final preparations are being made for the group's silver anniversary performance, which will be Beauty and the Beast. This week the volunteers were painting scenery and putting up lights ready for the shows which run from March 7 to March 9 at Lilleshall Memorial Hall.
Stuart Austin has been directing and writing the annual panto since 2007.
"Being part of the group is certainly a rollercoaster," he said. "There are many highs and lows, plus some stressful, infuriating times, but when the show takes to the stage, it all becomes worth it. Each year we stage a wonderful show, and a lot of that is down to such a great cast."
Villager Margaret Hullin, has been involved in all 25 pantomimes – both in front of and behind the curtain. She said: "I enjoy belonging to the group and having fun with them. It has to be a little bit serious because we are charging people to come in, but we have a good laugh."
The pantomime group brings together a wide cross-section of people in the village. Fifteen-year-old Matthew Austin, Stuart's son, is getting ready for his behind-the-scenes role after eight years on the stage.
The Burton Borough School pupil said: "This year I am doing the lights and the odds and sods. It's hard work with months of rehearsals but it's really worth it when it all comes together."
And he said this year's show promises to be as good, if not better, than any in the previous quarter of a century. "We've got some fantastic actors this year," he said. "There are lots of fantastic scenes with some really funny moments."
Vicki Saddington, meanwhile, is preparing to play the village idiot. It will be her third year on stage. "It's about doing something different. And it's an important thing for the village," she said.
Tickets for Beauty and the Beast are £6 for adults and £3 for children and are available from www.lilleshallpanto.co.uk or 07505 316424.
