That’s it for another year!

Posted on February 23, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Comedy, Drama, Fun, Life, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull Village Hall, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Theatre, Tidying upLeave a comment

Everything’s cleared up and tidied away….. Chairs stacked and put away, empty glasses and plastic beakers cleaned and disposed of. All the sweet wrappers and crisp packets that had been left on the floor were cleared up last night. The changing rooms (four garden gazebos) were taken down today, clothes will be washed and the ones that were rented will go back to their owners. At ten thirty last night the people we had hired the mikes off came to collect them, only to be told they would have to wait a quarter of an hour because we were doing an encore!

Comments made include our panto was better than the professional one held in the city centre at Christmas, and that out cast were good. The only complaint we got was that the radio mikes kept dropping out. The panto has been filmed so hopefully I can get a copy.

It was worth all the months of hard work. If you want to see one of the sketches we did look up “if I were not upon the stage” on YouTube. It’s not our version but gives you an idea of what we did.

Panto went well!

Posted on February 21, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aladdin, Comedy, Dancing, Fun, Funny, Life, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull Village Hall, Scenery, Singing, Song and dance, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Oh yes it did! All my hard work seems to have been appreciated with the scenery. The panto is a hoot, with compliments about how good it is. The songs were OK. I almost remembered them! I only forgot one line, but non of us were 100%, but that doesn’t matter as the audience haven’t read the script! We even seemed to dance well. All the cast were enjoying themselves and the audience were appreciative, even with a delayed start due to a parking issue. They laughed all the way through and there was some brilliant clowning about.

Well, only three more performances. I’m shattered, but too tired to sleep.

I want to post some panto photos.. But I can’t!

Posted on February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Break a leg, Comedy, Dance humour, Environment, Fun, Life, Music, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull panto, song, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

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Sneak peek of the washing machine front I’ve painted. Today was the dress rehearsal, one person had a problem as her trouser elastic snapped and they fell off as she was trying to make her entrance. I was practicing part of a song, and forgot to go on stage to sing that song. We got a lot of feedback on the mike’s. One of the helpers or cast got a parking ticket even though they were arked correctly… I still can’t remember all my lines, and in one scene the person before me completely forgot his so I didn’t know where I was! And breathe….

But on the whole we are getting it. There are lots of songs, dance, sketches, a nice story, an evil villan and lots of fun.

Have I told you we are doing a panto?

Posted on February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aladdin, Blogging, Character, Comedy, Fun, Humour, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, slapstick, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, TheatreLeave a comment

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So what is a pantomime. Its a crazy comedy with characters that have been portrayed on stage for years. Some panto(mime) characters include :

Aladdin, The Genie of the lamp and the genie of the ring, Princess Jasmine, Abanazar, widow Twankey and the Sultan and Sultana in our panto.

Jack in Jack and the beanstalk, the giant, Jack’s mother and the panto cow, usually called Daisy.

Robin Hood and his merry men with Robin, Marion, the sheriff of Nottingham, Sir Guy, King John, little John, friar tuck, Will Scarlet.

Sleeping beauty and Cinderella are also pantomimes. So basically they are fairy stories or children’s stories that have been adapted for the stage. Various other characters are added. Like the principle boy, who plays the hero but is often played by a girl, or the ugly sisters and widow Twankey who are played by men. A lot of cross dressing in the panto is traditional.

Pantos are played for laughs, modern ones can be quite commercial and include product placement. In our case we are amateur and just have fun.

If you live nearby to Stoke and want to come along let me know.

More rehearsals

Posted on February 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acting, Dancing, Drama, Fun, Life, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull panto, Penkhull Village Hall, Rehearsing, SoonLeave a comment

More rehearsals today for the panto, we ran through the whole thing today, adult and children’s cast acting together. We also got to use the stage which was good. It gives you an idea of where you will be. What side of the stage to come on. Whether you will knock into another cast member as you dance across the stage.

Just hang on, yes I did say “dance”. We have had a choreographer involved this year. People are being carried on shoulders and doing knee spins and…. We’ll it’s exhausting to look at. I’m glad I’m right at the back, I’m not nimble on my feet anymore.

Three weeks to go… Help!

Panto rehearsal tonight

Posted on January 17, 2020January 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dancing, Learning, Panto, Pantomime rehearsal, Penkhull, Singing, Song and danceLeave a comment

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The adult chorus are trying to learn three dances. Don’t stop believing, Spice up your life, and another one about Prince Ali from the Aladdin film which had Robin Williams in. We haven’t started yet.

The Plan is to sing and dance. Which is like that old trick of patting your head while rubbing your stomach. I’m sitting this out as my hip is still sore!

Only five weeks to the show, I’m scared!

Panto scenery

Posted on January 16, 2020January 16, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on scenery boards, Art, Blogging, Design, Environment, Helping paint, News, Painting, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Blurry photos, we are doing Aladdin for our panto this year. Someone else started it but I then asked if I could help. It’s bright and breezy and as colourful as I can make it. Im not publishing this on Facebook so you are getting a sneak preview. This is the Act one scenery.

Widow Twankey is Aladdins mum. She owns the local laundry and here is the market stall she has in her village. Expect excessive silliness!

When this is finished I will be doing the scenery for Act two. That’s is of a cave in the desert. I might add palm trees. At least its got me painting again, I was a bit down but this has helped.

Panto rehearsal

Posted on January 10, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aladdin, Dancing, Fun, Humour, Life, Panto, Pantomime, Penkhull, Penkhull pantoLeave a comment

Can’t show you the show, it’s a secret, but rehearsals continue for the pantomime we are putting on in February. (20th, 21st and two shows on the 22nd).

The show is Aladdin, where he has to find an old lamp, which is then taken from him together with his true love by an evil wizard. Fun ensues.

Tonight we were practising the dances (which is why I haven’t posted a photo). It was hard to get right, basically the choreographer is making it up as she goes along and we have to follow her moves. I’m not the most nimble and I can’t keep up. But we’ve got time.

Fingers crossed.

Christmas lights switch on.

Posted on December 8, 2019December 8, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Choir, Christmas, Cold, Fun, Lights switch on, Night, Penkhull, Singing, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Christmas lights switch on up at St Thomas’s Church, penkhull.

There was a fair crowd as we, the panto cast, and junior cast members stepped outside to sing in the choir. The wind was blowing coldly up over the hill. The Lord mayor lit the lights and the tree and we sang many traditional carols including Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels sing, which are both favourites of mine.

Penkhull village brass band were playing up a storm, and Father Christmas mingled with the crowds.

One thought as we sat there was how cold it was. An hour sitting on a plastic chair, starting to shiver and shake. Makes you wonder how homeless people cope. How do they survive. In this season if goodwill to all men, let’s have some real goodwill to all men and women!

PS sorry about the photos, it was difficult to take photos. Had to concentrate on singing….

Today’s craft fair

Posted on November 16, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Craft fair, Life, Painting, Penkhull, Penkhull Village Hall, Selling art, Stoke-on trentLeave a comment

Today I was at a craft fair in Penkhull. It was good to see some friends and I enjoyed the atmosphere. I hadn’t realised that it was Victorian themed, I should have liked to have looked a bit more authentic.

The result was that I managed to cover my costs and made enough to go out and get some new canvases to do some more tiny paintingsthus afternoon.

I was pleased that a couple of Owl paintings and one of a Peacock butterfly sold. Its always good to feel that they are going to good homes. I know sometimes I’m too attached to them, but I can’t help feeling protective of them. I hope I can do it again next year.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Penkhull