The History Of Lilleshall Pantomine
Dick Whittington - 1995
This Pantomime script had been around for a few years. It was written by Celia Fox at the same time she was writing Red Riding Hood. However, it was Red Riding Hood that had developed more easily and Dick Whittington had been 'shelved' because it had been turning into a 'Dickensian musical!' Now it seemed a good time to look at the script again and try to re-work it so that the group could use it. Celia also drew on some ideas from Les Brown who had written three previous scripts and Chris Wales, who was showing an interest in beginning to use his script writing talents.
This story was set mostly in London where Dick, played by Sally Ann Riley, went to seek his fortune, believing that the streets were paved with gold. This set, allowed the Group to have a lot of fun with traditional cockney songs and dances as well as an appearance by a well dressed Pearly King and Queen.
The Show was also the first for a new Director, Chris Wales, who although still young himself kept a tight control on a large cast of adults and children. He was supported in this role by his Assistant Director, Margaret Hullin. Margaret had previously been on stage in various roles from Principal Boy in the first two productions to being the Queen as well as Wicked Witch and taking on the difficult task of costuming a huge cast, as Wardrobe Mistress.
Dick Whittington was a colourful and musical Pantomime with a cast of talented youngsters, as street urchins who sang like angels! A moving moment was when a young Robin Millward sang a solo, with his choir boy voice, about hoping for a better life tomorrow. You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium and maybe a sniffle as someone reached for a tissue... a poignant moment!
Of course as with all Lilleshall Pantomimes there was comedy and special effects! This year, there was an exploding cooker! Our discerning audiences had come to expect something innovative and spectacular each year and we always tried not to disappoint!
It was also thought that an underlying strength of the group was our ability to take on many roles and tasks, with many members slipping easily into technical roles and backstage roles some years as well as performing on the stage in other years.
Each year, and this one was no different, new people would come to the casting auditions in September and join those who had been in the company since it began, replacing those who decided to have a break, were busy with school exams or decided to retire from the Group. This constant injection of new talent kept the Group vibrant and fresh.