The 2014 Panto – Aladdin – played to packed houses across four shows in early December. Audiences could not get enough, they said:
“Brilliant! How I wish this show could show for longer, I’d have come again AND brought more people to see it with me.”
“How do the team manage to make each show better than the last? I’m so pleased that it is always in aid of Telegraph Hill Centre too, it’s a good place. I’ve lived here for nearly 30 years but this and a couple of other things at the Centre are the only things I really connect with. Events like this make me appreciate what we have in the Centre. Long may that continue.”
“Please don’t stop! Ever. Aladdin was just too good. How you’ll top it next year I don’t know. But please try, I’ll bring 10 people with me to see it.”
“I loved it, the kids loved, even my great aunt who is quite hard of hearing loved it – there was just so much for everyone and all delivered with such gusto and clear enjoyment by the cast.”
“I’ve no idea of how much hard work goes into it all but please know that we all love this annual event. Please, please keep it going.”
The funds raised by Aladdin came to just over £3000 (£3034). The Centre is a self-sustaining community space which generates income from letting various spaces within the Centre, in addition to receiving a grant from St Catherine’s Community Mission Fund. The £3000 raised by Aladdin will be apportioned to various continuing improvements to the infrastructure and services within the building – rewiring to the best modern standards, ensuring that there is better lighting internally and externally and so on. More details on what the money has been spent on will follow in the coming months.
The Panto could never happen without a team. This year’s team have been incredible. As ever, Sanjit Chudha produced the Panto (dealing with the logistics from script development months beforehand to clearing away late at night after the last show). Of course without a script, there would be no Panto, and this year Ian Richardson’s script provided several well judged swipes at authority, lots to laugh at and with, and made room for the performers to shine. The performers were led by a very generous director in the form of Andrew Clarke who selflessly gave up several evenings a week to ensure that everyone was rehearsed as best they could be. In this he was aided by Jayne Grimshaw (who also stage managed), Kate Faragher and Laura Graham Anderson. Wiz Kelly and Anthea Sheahan made a marvellous dragon from, as the script said, ‘a bicyle helmet and some old cloth’. Of course the cast were flawless and they were:
Aladdin – Roger Mason
Wisheewashee – Elayne Carby
Ababanana – John Burgess
Widow Twanky – Gregory Doey
Nighthawk – Rima Bray
Daisy – Richard Gadd
Wiki – Wiz Kelly
Genie – Helen Bond
Emperor Poo – Paul Milnes
Princess Apple Blossom – Rosa Pearce-Hamilton
Mummy – Loclann O’ Grady
Gossiping Villagers – Gretchen Meddaugh, Durgesh Srivastava / Kate Faragher
Frou Frou – Laura Graham Anderson
Magic Mirror – Maggy Burrowes / Joe Kelly
Guards – Andrew Clarke, Jayne Grimshaw
Huge thanks also go out to all the children involved with the show [names to be updated].
The crew were also amazing. For lights we thank John Whitfield and John Kelly. For shifting scenery and helping out generally with setting out and putting away chairs, lights and props, we thank Owen King, Richard Bailey and Maryam Moarefvand. For clever make-up we thank Fenella Lawrence.
For generous use of rehearsal space:
Telegraph Hill Centre, Pilgrim’s Way Primary School and Children’s Centre and the CCC Club
For help with costumes:
Linda Newman, Jayne Grimshaw and the cast
Bar & Cafe:
Tamsin and Malcolm Bacchus, Rev Sheridan James and St Catherine’s Church Mothers Union
Front of House:
Rosie Wyatt, Kate Pearce, Maggie McMahon, Tracey Warner, Deborah Huisken, Susan Edwards, Maeve McAnallan and Sarah Wanendeya
To everyone involved, thank you so much for everything you did. We’ll try and do it all again later this year!