A CACKLING witch, a dash of Tom Jones, a King dressed as Tarzan and a fair few custard pies gave Wellington’s Sleeping Beauty proper panto flair last week.

It was a giddy show run for Wellington’s Pantomime Group, who served up a strong, quick-witted script which perfectly-pitched humour for both adults and youngsters.

The players received a warm reception at the Wellesley Theatre from their community, who helped shatter the fourth wall just as much as the cast did.

Blackpool’s finest, Dame Thyme, was a vision in her Edna Everage specs, bling and custard-yellow curls – rather a departure for actor Mike Hamilton, who’d played Oliver’s Fagin previously.

But the best get-up had to go to the blustering valet, Bon Blundel, looking like a Georgian cross between a humbug and a giraffe wrapped in a rainbow.

The sight of the spinning wheel, bathed in light as the audience filed in, had a chilling effect as the motif of danger to come… even though you know, of course, this fairytale will end in happy ever after. And with song, dance, drama and sparkle, it did.

DAISY BLACKLOCK

  • All photographs taken by Andy Jones of www.shootingpixels.net, as seen here and this week's print edition of the Somerset County Gazette. For the full gallery of stunning photographs from the Wellington Pantomime Group's show, showing the cast in action, click here.