Pant-Oh

You can't beat a good panto. Or can you? Oh yes you can, when it's an amateur panto. We had the pleasure of enjoying such an event on Saturday (the same day Birmingham were knocked out of the FA Cup by Reading)at a fabulous village hall. It was a performance of 'Treasure Island' which I never knew was a panto...

I really do admire people who do 'am dram' (amateur dramatics) especially as I have dabbled in the past. These productions are great because as well as some truly talented individuals you also get people who, er, really try their best. Actually, most of the enormous cast were OK, but bless 'em, the odd one or two were a little ropey. One lady did look like she'd just left work (at the accountancy firm) and walked straight on stage to 'act'. She looked terrified and her timid, rabbit-caught-in-headlights performance was a joy to behold. As was the severely stacatto delivery of another performer. It was supposed to be eccentric/amusing but just left most of the audience rather bemused.

Yet I mustn't mock. It really was a good show and all the mum's dad's and assorted relatives loved it. Mind you the whole thing had a weird effect on me because when I went to get my obligatory cup of village hall tea at the interval, for some unkown reason, I adopted an Australian accent. The woman who served me gave me a rather strange look, which wasn't suprising really because I said to her "G'day love. Any chance of a cuppa?". She just looked at me and said, flatly, "yes."

I do worry about myself sometimes.