WC DECEMBER 10
I was delighted on Monday to have a day off from any theatre production, after seeing 6 shows in 7 days. I did manage, just for a change, to visit Shanklin Theatre to interview their pantomime Dame, James Pellow, making a welcome return to the Island. James, has been a professional actor for 10 years and has come home to make his first local appearance since 2004. He is playing The Queen in Shanklin’s Sleeping Beauty, which has a quality cast of local professional performers.
Saw the First Act’s Let It Snow on Tuesday night at Shanklin Theatre and I took along Melvyn Hayes and his son Josh. We had another inspirational night – and we both won raffle prizes. Melvyn won a bottle of bubblebath – and I think he was going to pass it on to Gloria!!
Saw another excellent show on Wednesday at the Apollo Theatre, Newport. The Railway Children is one of their best productions for some time and a perfect tale for Christmas. Several outstanding acting performances. Great team effort.
Went to the Kings, Southsea on Thursday afternoon to see their Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. You rarely see a below par panto at the Kings and this was another fine effort and the full house, with several local schools in the audience, loved every minute. With Lisa Riley still in Strictly Come Dancing, her role was taken by Adele Silva, who also was once in Emmerdale. Adele, who I last met in 2001 in Weston Super Mare, where she was in a panto with the late Jack Douglas. At Southsea she was in top form and was the perfect Queen Malevola to hiss and boo at. She only had two days rehearsal – you would never have guessed it. I interviewed her and another cast member, Marcus Patrick, who went to Bembridge School. My old friend Aiden J Harvey was in superb form as Muddles.
The busy week ended with two more pantomimes – and both were a major disappointment – one was professional and the other amateur. Glad to get out of both.