Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram guide

The festive period seems to have whipped by, but pantomime is still very much in full swing, with a host of groups enjoying the fun across the region.

Perton based company, Harlequin Pantomimes, has been entertaining families with good old-fashioned traditional panto performances since they formed in 2006 and this year is presenting Jack and the Beanstalk from January 15-19 at Perton Civic Centre.

They have laughed and romped their way through rehearsals since September last year and are now very excited as opening night gets nearer and nearer.

Ellie Farmer from Fordhouses plays the title role, with Rebecca Eastwood as Princess Charlotte, Dom Napier as Simple Simon and Paul Bowman in his favourite role, that of dame as Dolly Dimple. Every year Paul says it is his last as dame, but the draw of those frocks, false eyelashes and other falsies is just too tempting!

Spokesperson for the group, Chris Martin said, “We continue year on year with faithful and new members alike to grow a wealth of talent. Anyone wishing to come along and join us will be made more than welcome.”

That’s community panto for you. Fun for absolutely everyone.

Directed by Alf Rai, with choreography by Lisa Farmer and a live band under the musical direction of Dan Tomkinson, it promises to be yet another success for Harlequin.

l For tickets priced at £10-£5, visit www.seaty.co.uk/jackthebeanstalk or call 01902 678242.

You can catch a production of Treasure Island the pantomime presented by Castle Bromwich Theatre Group from January 16-19 at Arden Hall. Visit www.castlebromwichtheatregroup.co.uk for tickets.

Meanwhile Startime Variety based in Halesowen, is offering Cinderella from January 16-20 at Netherton Arts Centre, written by Tina Lilly in memory of Mike Clifford a former member who wrote and directed so many pantos for the group.

Spokesperson Jeanette Greenway said: “Cinderella has an original script and is very entertaining with lots of songs and dances and new characters including Jazz and Hans, Giselle, Fairy G and the ugly sisters Gorgon and Zola.”

Evening performances are at 7.15pm and matinees on January 19 and 20 are at 2.15pm. For tickets, priced from £11, call 0790155685 or book online at www.seaty.co.uk

Aladdin remains a very popular choice for amateur performers and from January 16-19, the streets of old Peking can be found at the Dovehouse Theatre in Solihull as the Solihull Society of Arts Drama Section presents the panto.

l For tickets, visit www.ssadram.com

Robinson Crusoe is a great pantomime, but not performed very often, so I was pleased to see that Aldridge Youth Theatre had taken it on board (excuse the nautical pun) and is performing it at their own theatre in Noddy Park Road from January 11-12, January 17-19 and January 24-26.

l For tickets priced at £9 and £8 for concessions, call 01922 458615. Please note though that children under the age of five years old cannot be permitted due to fire regulations.

l For more information, visit www.adldridgeyouththeatre.co.uk

Away from all the mayhem and madness of panto, am dram performers are shining bright in the world of theatre.

Rachel Liggitt, Co-Director of Shropshire Inclusive Dance has won the Inspirational Community Dance Practitioner Awards, hosted by One Dance UK, at the first ever sector wide dance award ceremony.

Rachel said: “I absolutely love my work here at Shropshire Inclusive Dance. I am privileged to work with an exceptional team who inspire me every day and our work is going from strength to strength. I feel deeply honoured to have won this award.

Shortlisted from 800 nominations across the country, Rachel began as a performer and collaborated with dance artists and small-scale dance companies before moving on to hold several dance artist in residence positions.

Well done Rachel and here’s to much success for Shropshire Inclusive Dance in the years to come.

Remaining the Shropshire area, audiences can look forward to a production of Terrence Rattigan’s play, Flarepath, presented by Shropshire Drama Company which will take place in June 2019. The group are however holding a read-through and first rehearsal of the piece on January 21 at the Stable Suite at the Mytton and Mermaid Hotel in Atcham starting at 7.30pm.

Interested in performing, or simply would like more information on tickets? If so, call Rosalind Garrard on 07831 271276 or email rosalindgarrard@hotmail.com

Old Fallings Players are a small Wolverhampton-based group who have been performing for many years and meet at Old Fallings Reformed Church in the city.

They constantly raise money via social events to fund their shows and so on January 19, they will be holding a quiz night at the church at 7.30pm. Fancy showing off your quizzing skills whilst making new friends in this friendly musical society?

l Contact the group’s Facebook page for more information.

Finally this week, the students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy will be presenting their latest projects at the Old Rep Theatre over the coming weeks.

Year 13 will present Enron, the rise and fall of the Texan energy company, told through an exhilarating mix of political satire and physical theatre on January 21-22, as well as the life of Nell Gwynn as she rises through the ranks from a simple orange seller to become the most famous actress of her time on January 24-25.

The group will then present their final offering for the month on January 29-30; a performance entitled Road which is an evening’s tour of a scruffy, depressed road in a small Lancashire town, meeting its inhabitants, and being given a glimpse into their socially and emotionally sorry lives. Despite the subject matter this play is described as funny, witty, angry and sad, so should be highly entertaining.

l For tickets for BOA performances, visit www.oldreptheatre.co.uk or call 0121 359 9444.

l That’s all for this week. I look forward to receiving all your news and good quality colour photos at a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk, and remember you can call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton

Break a leg!