Check out this great review from Philip Smith at NODA !!!!
Sylvia and I were delighted to be invited to share an evening with Darnall MTC to see their annual pantomime .
This being my first visit I had no idea of the venue,the society or how Darnall operated. How pleased we were with the warm welcome we received with so many people in front of house.
Darnall MTC are clearly a very strong community theatre group, with many people giving their time to all aspects of this production.
On stage the cast were made up of youngsters all 17 or less , the exception being the larger than life Dame Trot ,Jack Taylor , who clearly gave everything not only to his own performance but providing a high level of experience and timing to the most supportive remaining cast .
Hannah Blackwell as the dashing prince Jack Trot, performed some memorable scenes with many of the performers. I particularly enjoyed the duet with Princess Demelza played very well by Lucy Green .They both showed their many talents not only with the songs but in performance and stage presence.
In every panto there has to be a Simple Simon , and Natasha Blackwell played this part so well, daft but not over the top, clever interactions with her audience, lovely singing and stagecraft .
Stage front left and front right hold significant panto roles almost by tradition, Edena the Eco Fairy ,Matilda Gunn, upholding good from evil, with some lovely acting , excellent clarity , and forming the perfect foil for the villain of the piece Slime Ball played by the very proficient and talented Beth Black.
What can I say about your King Bertram , played by Teagan Pepper and of course his sidekick Trumpet,played by Isaac Pepper ,a formidable set of performers. I really enjoyed the way Teagan played her part showing off a high level of experience with some memorable expressions,great singing,excellently executed scenes
ably supported by Isaac, showing some lovely daft reactions ,along with some clever stagecraft .I was delighted to see the whole cast so enthusiastically involved, some lovely group numbers,and clever shaping by the production team maximising the comparatively small performance area, good use of stage levels and utilisation of entrances and exits.Full compliments for the very effective UV scene with excellent props ,and extremely well executed. I really enjoyed the scenes outside the giant's castle with Slime Ball and the cockroaches, the youngsters all performing really well, and I must say how impressed I was with The Sarg, Megan Green leading the team .
Throughout the panto some lovely choreography allowing everyone on stage to show off their talents . I find it so refreshing to see so many of tomorrow's performers being given these opportunities , and grasping it with both hands. This of course can never happen without the commitment and dedication of the whole team that you clearly have at Darnall.
The costumes , the sets, the clever lighting and well chosen songs , be it solos duets or full chorus were all delivered with great effect.
Well done to one and all for a most enjoyable evening .
It goes to prove that in theatre ,with the high level of support that you obviously have, a wonderful production can be achieved on a comparatively low budget , sending your full house audience home with smiles on their faces.
Thank you again for the invite ,enjoy the remaining performances.
Philip Smith
Noda NE District 6 Regional Rep