People in South Cambs are in for a real treat next weekend as the Melbourn Amateur Dramatics Society are currently putting the finishing touches to their annual pantomime, and this year it’s Jack and the Beanstalk.
The society has been running since 2012, with husband and wife Paul and Donna Sleight at the helm.
“We started up the group having gone along to watch a friend in a show.
“I hadn’t done anything like it before, but when we saw there wasn’t anything like it in Melbourn, my wife said how hard can it be to start a group?”
“We’ve put a lot of work in, our first show in 2012 was The Lost Slipper based on Cinderella and we had a cast of eight people, we now have 30 so it is growing.”
The story is the traditional tale of Jack, the young, poor boy living with his brother, his widowed mother and a cow as their only source of income. When the cow stops giving milk, Jack’s mother tells him to take it to the market to be sold. On the way, Jack meets an old man who offers magic beans in exchange for the cow, and Jack makes the trade.
“It’s going swimmingly,” said director and panto dame Paul.
“We have been rehearsing since late August, but now we’ve only a week to go the doubt sets in, and you start threating like crazy, wondering if the jokes are even funny anymore.
“But all that fear washes away on opening night, and you get that buzz and it’s why we do it.”
“We had a dress rehearsal at the weekend and we hope to put on another great, fun, show for the people of Melbourn, Meldreth and surrounding areas.
“There are lots of songs and laughs for all and we encourage the audience to come along and join in booing the baddies and cheering our hero Jack Trott.”
There are four performances next weekend, Friday, December 9, at 7.30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7.30pm and Sunday at 2pm.
Tickets are £8 for adults and £6 for under 16s and there is a licenced bar.
Places are running out for the Sunday show but the rest have lots of seats to be filled, so book yours now online at www.melbournamdram.co.uk or call the box office on 07513 457845. MADS are always after new members, go to the website for more information.
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