Swindonweb reviewed Waiting for Panto. Read their article at http://www.swindondiary.com/waitingforpanto.htm

The village magazine, the Ridgeway Bell published the following in December 2004.

For four nights in November the Ridgeway Theatre Company gave an entertaining production in Holy Cross Church. Many faces have become familiar to us over the years, some growing up before our eyes. However, what was not familiar this year was the play itself or rather the plays, for Mike Williams had fused together the unlikely combination of the pantomime 'Aladdin" and Shakespeare's darkest tragedy "Hamlet".

The play starts with the author, played by the author himself, revealing to the director (not the real director - that was Charlotte Mannion) that there is no play or panto as he hasn't written one yet, but intends to come up with "Peter Pun" (a play on words) as soon as possible.

This slightly surreal situation is continued, not with a group of actors discussing, Pirandello - like, the lack of a play, but a committee meeting since the Ridgeway Theatre Company prides itself on being a very democratic organisation. There is much argument over the two choices - "Aladdin" or `Hamlet", until the secretary, far the sake of peace, agrees to combine them. There follows, presented by the actors, scenes from the pantomime and the play, separately and combined, with great comic effect. It might have been thought impossible to do this successfully, but somehow with Mike Williams' lines they manage to pull it off. There are some very funny cross-over scenes, for example the ghost, while waiting for Hamlet directing Aladdin and his party ('you're not my son") to the exact spot under the battlements where the treasure is hidden. Or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (a perfectly matched pair apart from their labels) quite naturally becoming Beryl the Pantomime Camel. All this, and several very original songs and lots of audience participation of the "Oh yes he is - oh no he isn't " variety. The pace needed to be, and was, very fast which meant that while one was savouring one very funny joke, another had gone by all too quickly. Since a pantomime must have a happy ending ,it was a nice idea that Aladdin's third and last wish from the genie, was to have all the corpses that litter the stage at the end of "Hamlet" restored to life so that the entire cast can finish with a song,

As always it seems unfair to pick out individual performances but I must mention Aria Gamper as Aladdin with her clear diction and Lynda Farrington for her bad-tempered genie.

Such a complex production can only be achieved with the efforts of the large talented back-stage team. Considering that the play has only been written since August and has had to contend with cast changes at short notice due to illness, the standard that was reached was amazing, with no lapses of memory or technical hitches. It is gratifying, too, to see such a wide range of ages, including a group of students from the Ridgeway School willing to put time and effort into amateur dramatics. Congratulations all round!

The proceeds this year will go to Swindon N.S.P.C.C.

Deirdre Cornfield