Bottisham Players Pantomime 2004
This year our Pantomime is "Dick Whittington and his Wondercat" a family musical play written by David Wood, as usual this is in association with Samuel French.
David Wood tells the story of Dick Whittington by starting the story from the point when Dick is to become the Lord Mayor of London. A small boy in the crowd not knowing what the fuss is about asks a member of the crowd to explain. The tale unfolds going back to where Dick comes to London to find his fortune and the adventure that he finds himself involved in.
Come and follow the adventure and be entertained, come and laugh and join in all the fun of a show that has all the traditional elements of Pantomime, the usual songs and dancing together with audience participation and a very clever cat. Everything that can be enjoyed by "children" young and old on your very own doorstep. The cast includes familiar Bottisham Players and one or two new faces, not forgetting the team of rats, some of whom will be invading from other villages.
The production is being directed by Brian Watson who will say he is a "semi-professional" writer, amateur director and underappreciated actor. Brian has a long history of association with drama and was the founding editor of the "Combinations" local drama newsletter. He has taught drama at the Lane Academy performing arts school in Ely and was a founder trustee of ADEC (Arts development in East Cambridgeshire). He was for two years the drama critic for Radio CambridgeshireÕs afternoon programme (Steve Somers and Richard Spendlove) and he co-edited and produced the second series of Fen Market with Steve Somers. In 2000 Brian presented a "21st Century Music Hall" for the Angles Theatre in Wisbeach where he has often performed and staged a wide variety of shows.
He says of this production "I am particularly pleased to be directing Bottisham Players again this time with a terrific script to which I was introduced when I played Buckle (one of the pirates) for Sutton players 15 years ago. We have adapted it for a new cast and venue and the show will provide a good night for all ages. I am a big fan of traditional pantomime and have done everything possible to include all the expected elements while taking advantage of technical innovations"
Brian is currently working on a script on the lives of The Brothers Grimm and always has a number of other projects in "pre-production". Brian can be heard caterwalling at the hootenanny sing-songs that are held in the pubs in Sutton and Mepal.
Dates for your diary are Thursday 22nd, Friday 23rd at 7.30.p.m.and Saturday 24th January 2003 at 2.30.p.m. and 7.30 p.m. in the Main Hall at Bottisham Village College.
Buy your tickets from beginning of January either direct from Lushers Newsagents in Bottisham, or the Burwell Fireplace Shop North Street Burwell, or through our direct telephone booking line (not Lushers or the Fireplace shop) on 01223 812779 price £6.00 for adults and £4.00 concessionaires (not Saturday night).
Any reserved tickets must be paid for before the date of the performance. Tickets will be available on the door at each performance subject to availability.