If you thought village hall Panto was a thing of the past, a recent visit to Chipperfield provided a rafter raising riposte to the question of whether Panto is still alive and kicking..."It's behind you"..."Oh no it isn't!"
A big production, very professionally staged with well drilled performances from everyone, it appeared at times as though a cast of thousands was populating the stage. Every age group and type of character was represented, from the talented and leggy Principal Boy and his lovely Leading Lady, the Archetypal Villain (Boo...Hiss..) Fairy Belle (Scottish!), the larger than life (much larger and twice as titillating) Pantomime Dame, right through to Tiddles the Cat, who moved with all the feline attributes of poise and grace and delivered some stunning dance routines; this was full on entertainment from start to finish and the supporting chorus of talented young performers danced and sang like seasoned professionals.
Is Panto fading into history in the rural villages of Hertfordshire? Not if The Chipperfield Theatre Group is anything to go by. They staged Dick Whittington with great aplomb. And what fun it was! Not a foot was put wrong, not a bum note sounded all evening. Can't wait to see their next production.
Details of their programme can be found by visiting their web site .
The production was sponsored by Wilsons - Country Homes & Village Properties. Well done them!
