Sidmouth Amateur Dramatic Society certainly sailed back on the crest of the wave this year with Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates, written by Alan P Frayn and directed by Marc Colson.
The first night capacity audience at the Manor Pavilion Theatre was full of Christmas cheer and buzzing from the start, they clapped and cheered enthusiastically giving tremendous support throughout.
A splendid smoke geyser highlighted the entrance for the Fairy as the story unfolded and the characters were introduced following a lively opening number. There was a strong storyline and the action flowed seamlessly from scene to scene.
All the traditional, expected elements of pantomime were there, plenty of banter, misunderstandings and audience participation, 'goodies', 'baddies', 'silly billies', a romantic duo and of course the Dame. Played in customary style by Ian Harbour, Margarita Jucilita was definitely a 'bloke in a frock', and Mark Rose brought his well-honed skills to the stage as her son Nutty Nick, getting the audience on side straight away, and the two bounced off each other in good style.
With such a large cast and chorus, a delightful mix of adults and youngsters, and a troupe of excellent dancers under the expert eye of choreographer Lucie Welsman-Manville, the director did magnificently to manage the logistics of all the action and 'cooked up' a great show!
The sets and backdrops were simply stunning, the costumes eye-catching and co-ordinated, the UV scene well received and the musicians, under MD Emily Miller supportive. An excellent production all round, but the little pirates certainly stole the show! Oh yes they did!
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