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About us
The Society was formed in 1949 by the
then Vicar of St. Giles Church, The
Reverend Jack Peel (inset). He
approached the
St. Giles Players for help providing
the cast for the Pantomime ‘Dick
Whittington and his Cat’ a script by
the Reverend F.G. de Patterson.
The Rev. Peel stated in his article in
the 1974 Silver Anniversary
programme “there were many reasons for
starting the Pantomimes, the principle
being to draw people of all ages and
differing abilities into a ‘Splendid
fellowship’ as he called it. It is one
of the best clubs you can find. Some
people sing, some dance, some play
music, but that is not all, you must
always remember those who do stage
work, stage sound, stage lighting,
make costumes, help with make-up, book
seats and do the multiple other jobs.
There may be a crowd of performers
onstage, you can be sure there are
just as many behind the scenes”.
Everyone enjoys it and the performance
week is only the climax of weeks and
maybe months of preparation. In the
first programme we learnt that the
proceeds from the Pantomime were to be
used in the Restoration fund. Times
haven’t changed much, the Church still
requires funds, but the Pantomime
Society has progressed tremendously.
There are still members of the cast
and backstage crew from the first
production living in and around
Pontefract- Evelyn Gill (Kirkaldy),
Janice Bridgett (Thompson) John
Gardner and Don Chessman to name just
a few.
Since the formation of the Society
some 50 plus years ago the fundamental
aim hasn’t changed. The Society still
draws people into the ‘family’ that is
the Rev. Peel’s “Splendid fellowship”
that brings people of all abilities
together, working for the good of the
Society, producing live shows to
entertain audiences in Pontefract.
Anyone who is, or has been a member of
the Pantomime Society can be proud
that they have contributed to the
growth and development of such a
successful and popular Society. Long
may it flourish and continue in the
aims that were set so many years ago,
but still hold true to this day.
Included in the Society's early
membership was Norman Robbins, well
known Playwright and prolific
Pantomime writer. Although Norman now
resides in Devon he still manages to
keep in touch with some of his friends
in the Society from time to time.
The House that Jack Built marked the
first appearance for Norman with the
Society and after the following year’s
Aladdin he wrote the 1963 and 1964
pantomimes
‘Sing a song of sixpence’ and ‘Hickory
Dickory Dock’ before emulating the well
known Pantomime character Dick
Whittington and departing for London to
make his fortune.
Since that time he has appeared in
more than 30 pantomimes with such well
known names as Ken Dodd, Morecambe and
Wise, Harry Worth, Roy Hudd, Charlie
Chester and Jack Douglas, along with
appearing in films and on television in
several shows including ‘Open all
hours’ and ‘All creatures Great and
Small’ to name but two.
Norman boasts in excess of 30
pantomimes and plays in Samuael
French’s catalogue and four of his
eight plays were given their first
staging by the then St. Giles Players
in the Parish Rooms on Ropergate,
Pontefract.
His years in Pontefract are not
forgotten and the names of many of the
local stalwarts remain in his memory to
this day, in a recent conversation I
had with Norman he tells me that he is
still writing plays but is reluctant to
continue writing pantomimes as the -
politically correct - issue surrounding
most productions is
making life difficult for Societie’s to
finance them.
Among Norman’s successes is ‘Slapstick
and Sausages’ THE EVOLUTION OF BRITISH
PANTOMIME.
from pre-Christianity to the present
century. Published by Trapdoor
publications,
RG.
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