The History Of Lilleshall Pantomine
Red Riding Hood - 1992
Graham Gibson who had written and co-written the scripts in the first four productions took a step back this year and Celia Fox wrote the script for the groups fifth pantomime, re-working the well known fairy story about the little girl visiting her grandmother. A new twist was put on the story, in that the wolf wasn't an animal but more a wolf-like, strange character who lived in the woods surrounded by his adoring slaves. This rather sinister and frightening character, Wulfgar, sees the lovely young Red Riding Hood and decides to have her for his bride! This slightly 'horror story' version of the tale was given much comic relief by the confusions, mix-ups and mis-haps of the villagers in the plot who try to thwart his plans.
Of course, in true Pantomime tradition, the evil is defeated and good wins in the end... but not before Grandmother and our heroine are in danger, or before various folk, in their own ways, stumble into the scene to save the day!
Lilleshall Pantomime Group produced another exciting Show with unusual special effects....but the audience never knew the mis-haps that were going on backstage in order to create a memorable Show. Evelyn Wales, Producer and Celia Fox, Director will never forget the mist machine that poured out rolling, undulating mists in Wulfgar's Den, creating an eerie but atmospheric spectacle, because during one performance, they couldn't turn it off! Mist was creeping across the stage and pouring down, ready to engulf the audience! meanwhile Evelyn and Celia were making frantic attempts to turn it off. . . unsucessful attempts! This some what hysterical backstage farce was solved by the girls dragging the machine forcefully from its position and hauling it down to an open doorway where for some while it continued to make mist... but at least the audience were saved from being lost in the fog! Passers by the Hall that night may have been forgiven for thinking the Hall was on fire as clouds billowed from the open backstage door for some time after! It would be many years before the need to use a mist machine would be suggested again!