We haven't written a newsletter for quite a few months, as we realised that all the information you needed to know, is available on our web-site and in your emails and schedules which are sent out regularly. However we do feel now that having just finished 'Show Week', we would like, as representatives of your Committee, to say a big thank you for all the work and time everybody has put into the production of 'Aladdin'. There are so many small details that need attention during the year, which many of you Members, and even the general public, never even think about. The majority just sit down, watch the show and we hope enjoy it, but do not appreciate what putting it 'on stage' entails. All the valuable personal time given by our Members is very much appreciated.

Your Committee are presently well under way with the organisation for Panto 2012. We are convinced that a great many of the Cast and our Panto members may not give a thought or even know who is on the Committee but we must give a special mention to these members who work tirelessly all the year round despite the fact that it eats into their valuable spare time.

Our Committee couldn't function without them.

We are sorry to say that four members, who have been with us for a long time have now decided that they would like to 'have a rest' and have therefore left their posts.

Tony and Sue Whitby have been with us for many years. Tony joined us in 1990 for our production of 'Sleeping Beauty' and has been drumming for us ever since, only missing one show for health reasons in 2007. Sue, his wife, joined us a little later, working back stage on props and also did a spell Front of House in the fabled 'Sweet Emporium' with Beryl Davies.

Nigel and Jenny Best joined us in 1999 when their son Ian became a member of the Cast in one of our previous 'Aladdin' productions, and then took on their duties as Financial Secretary and Ticket Secretary for our year 2000 production of 'Mother Goose'. They have been on the Committee for all those years and have put hours of work in for us. The Committee have already recognised this contribution by delving into their own pockets to present them with a monetary gift at our February Committee Meeting.

So on behalf of our fellow Committee Members and the members of the Group, we would like to publicly thank all four of them for their tireless work, over many years. They will be sorely missed, although we do hope we will be seeing them again at our future productions.

Please do not forget about the Cast photograph, that was shown to you between the two Shows on the final Saturday. This can be bought for the sum of £3. You were issued with a form to complete by email on Monday, Jan 17. It will also be available for viewing at the AGM.

What did you think of the quality of the programme for Aladdin? Bessie thought it was a very appealing one and was excellent value for money. The credit for this must be given to Andrew Stanley, and Ray Hughes. Anne Shaw also contributed by persuading our local firms how much they will gain by advertising in our programme. It must take hours of collating it all together, and making sure all the information is correct. Apologies for the mistakes, Laura/Simon!!! Congratulations also to Andrew for the photographs of the Cast. Thanks to the three of you.

You may have noticed that we changed the 'ending' of Aladdin for the final Saturday evening performance by omitting the 'speeches'. This came about as a result of a number of disparaging comments over recent years relating to how our production was out of step with modern-day theatre by continuing this procedure. I would be interested in your comments.

One thing that really has to be said relates to the non-Principal members of the Cast, particularly the Dancers. We have now had two years of disrespectful behaviour by these members of the Cast while waiting in the wings prior to going on stage. The backstage personnel are sick and tired of asking them to be quiet. This was problematical for Sleeping Beauty in 2010 and was even more of a problem for Aladdin this year. The paying public expect a modicum of professionalism from our Cast while they are waiting in the wings; they do not expect their evening's entertainment to be spoilt by the irrelevant chattering of inconsiderate juveniles. It really is galling when you try to put on a fun Panto for it to be spoilt by incessant chatter that does carry forward into the auditorium; and to cap it all we were treated to the utterance of an unforgivable expletive on the stage this time which most of the audience would have picked up on. Our Audition Panel have been very forgiving in the past but, I assure you, it is now time for a change !!!!

Please now get your diaries out and remember to write in...................................

THE PANTO A.G.M. This will take place, in the GPRoom, at the Community Centre on March 8th and will start at 7pm. There will be a Power Point showing of 'Aladdin' followed by a five minute intermission to allow you to 'escape' if you so wish. It will then be followed by the AGM business at 7.30pm.

Can we remind you that all the Committee have now reached the end of their three year Term of Office and therefore we will have to have suitable elections at the AGM for their replacements. The good news is that over the last few months a number of Members have put themselves forward for Committee positions and I am sure that you will give them your full support, if any elections are necessary, since they have shown the initiative to do this. We are pleased to say that with these 'volunteers', and past Committee Members who are happy to carry on with their Committee duties, we have a viable Committee to take forward to the AGM.

Committee positions to be elected are:

Chairman
Vice Chairman
Secretary
Financial Secretary
Ticket Secretary
Publicity Officer
Social Secretary
Elected member
Elected member

Any further nominations have to have been received by our Secretary, Bessie, on the attached pro-forma, no later than Friday Feb 18, 2011.

Our next production is going to be 'Robinson Crusoe'.

We hope to be seeing a number of you at the AGM. If not, then have a good summer and don't forget the Auditions:-

Meet the Production Team - June 29, Wednesday Evening
Principal auditions - July 1, Friday Evening
Chorus/ Dancer auditions - July 3, Sunday Morning/Afternoon

REMINDER:- SHOW WEEK WILL START ON JAN 08, 2012.

Further details regarding characters, finalised audition times, etc, will be forwarded to you nearer the time.

Bessie/Ray