1st Blewbury Guides - Pantomime

Back in September when we were planning our programme for the term, 1st Upton and Blewbury Guides said they wanted to put on a pantomime - something we used to do regularly but have not done for several years. Various other events conspired to delay things but the production was finally staged on Saturday 9th April before a large and enthusiastic audience.

The script of 'Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp' was written by a Yorkshire Guide unit in 1997 with plenty of Guiding references and some really bad rhymes. We adapted this to bring it up to date, make it local and adjust the number of characters to fit our unit.

With a cast of 15 Guides and one Young Leader, three Guides and another Young Leader backstage, and two Guiders directing, almost everyone in the unit has earned their Showtime Go For It, and will get their Performing Arts badge by just fulfilling one additional clause.

There was also a special appearance by 1st Harwell Rainbows who helped the audience to sing 'Auntie Monica' and Aladdin to chase his evil uncle Abanazer off the stage. We had just five rehearsals in Guide meetings and two rehearsals on the day of the performance. The directors were tearing out their hair trying to get some of the cast to learn their lines but everyone was brilliant on the night and the audience were rolling in the aisles at the karaoke Elvis and the big knickers in Widow Twankey's washing.
By selling tea and cakes in the interval we raised nearly £275 for Guides Pippa Gledhill and Lucy Rippington, who are going on an Anglia Region international trip to New Zealand in the summer.