ANYONE who doubts the appeal pantomime still holds for children and adults alike need only look at the amateur panto Dick Whittington running in Seaham this week.ANYONE who doubts the appeal pantomime still holds for children and adults alike need only look at the amateur panto Dick Whittington running in Seaham this week.
A hard-working and enthusiastic cast from the Vane Tempest Amateur Operatic Group win the audience onto their side with all the traditional panto elements.
And though there's little chance for audience participation in the first half — due partly to cast members rushing on without leaving time for booing, cheering, or at times even applause — it's very much in evidence in the second half. That's due in no small way to Derek Cooke and Betty Mileham working with the youngsters in the audience and putting them much more at ease.
Gillian Wilson, who is growing ever more confident, plays the too-good-to- be-true Dick. She is joined in the panto world oflove-at-first-sight by Diane Jef- fnes, showing an equally attractive singing voice, as Alice, Charles Bond as a thoroughly nasty King Rat, and Susan Casey managing well the difficult task of creating the character of the cat totally in mime.
Songs range from Flanagan and Alien to Frank Sinatra, though I must confess the reason for a spectacular staging of New York, New York to set the scene for London Town Hall did escape me.
The show, which runs until Saturday in the Vane Tempest Welfare Hall, is one to leave you cheering with the songs still in your head. In Seaham, at least, Christmas is on the way. • • Oh yes it is!
