The audience was full, both young and old sat waiting to be entertained. Again the hall was full of technology; lights, mixing decks with a whole host of people working them. My greeting had been warm and the atmosphere was of both enjoyment and anticipation.
As I sat waiting for the start, I could not help thinking just how important everybody’s role was to make this year’s production. Without each individual, offer of help or donation it simply would not run each year.
The panto started in darkness and the arrival of the first character. It was all very loud and scary, so much so I could feel the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Within minutes the audience were encouraged to participate which I thought was great. This was all happening even before the curtain was raised!
When the curtains did open it was almost magical. There was the first song before the arrival of the Dame. Crucially, the jokes suited all age groups and there was no shortage of them.
Audience participation continued with the Cardinal, Dame and Musketeers’ making the audience eat out of the palms of their hands.
What struck me was that as the performance progressed, there was always something new and surprising happening. There were no long scenes and the whole show was running with both speed and accuracy.
Each song was strong enough to be of ‘X Factor’ quality. Each person acting or in the chorus could be in a West End Show. The scenery was amazing and the fighting scenes were realistic. So much so, I realised why the Bishopthorpe First Responders were at the back of the hall!!
In the second half, both the quality and momentum kept going. There were lots more surprises in store such as the custard pies and clever use of Buttercup the horse to create that something extra special.
Sat in the audience I felt part of what was going on from the very first moment. As the final scenes came I could see that the audience had also been mesmerised for over two and a half hours. The sad part for everybody would be having to go home.
Every actor and every person working behind the scenes had done a fabulous job.
I cannot wait for next year’s production and as always will look forward to ‘Ebor Players’ announcement. In my opinion the productions are always amazing and once again all those involved should be very proud.
Arthur was born in the village on 17th November 1870. In 1887, at the age of 17, Arthur borrowed some money, left his remaining family in Bishopthorpe, and worked his passage to America on the ship, Peruvian. He made his way to where his brother Herbert lived in Ontario, Canada, and worked in the area for a year and a half. Moving to Delhi, Minnesota, with his cousin Emmanuel Carbert, he worked on a number of farms. Arthur eventually bought his own farm and married Stella Salome Bruner on 27 October 1898. The couple had eight children: four sons and four daughters. Arthur died in 1961 at the grand age of 91and was buried in Redwood Falls Cemetery, Minnesota.
Arthur Carbert married Stella Salome Bruner in 1898.
I am not sure what eligibility criteria was needed to be included in the PC team but it would appear it would be much more difficult to qualify for the Welsh or Irish football team. Let’s just say that any links would appear to have stretched the word tenuous to breaking point!! If the church bells ever fall silent due to the lack of campanologists, one has only to look to the PC darts team, there were any number of ‘ringers’ available. No such accusations could thrown at the Players however, thespians to a man or woman or both?? However they were to receive yet another shock as they witnessed the unedifying sight of their newly elected chairman, in his first public appearance, walk in and ‘high five’ the PC team. It would appear that at some point in the past and in a drunken stupor, he had once said hello to someone from the Parish Council and so he qualified. So with dark mutterings of ‘Judas’, ‘traitor’ and ‘wait until the next committee meeting’, the match started.
First up was the ladies and in a tense match Cayley Godfrey and Jo Bewley secured their first victory for the PC against a valiant try by Chris & Diane from the Players. First blood to the PC.
The jubilant scenes that followed showed how much this victory meant to the Parish Council team, although albeit with a team whose qualification criteria was somewhat dubious.
The North East Railway slicing through the Bishopthorpe fields. May Hill took this photograph in the 1930s looking south-east from Bishopthorpe Bridge to Naburn Swing Bridge, which can just be seen in the distance.
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