Dick Whittington

As a boy I grew up in a town not so very far from London.  My Grandfather belonged to one of those "working men's" clubs and each year the club would organise a bus trip to the London Palladium to see a Christmas Pantomime.  It was more like a convoy of buses, full of Grandparents, Mums, Dads and Kids - it was something we all looked forward to every year.  There is something very special about a Panto - it is hard to pinpoint exactly what it is - but each year some of the top stars of television and theatre vie for roles in what has become an English tradition.  In my youth it was people like Cliff Richard, Dick Emery, Bob Monkhouse, Norman Wisdom, Charlie Drake and comic duos like Morcombe & Wise, Mike & Bernie Winters (names that may not mean much to the young people of today) - however, we discover that even some of our Australian actors from shows like "Neighbours" and "Home and Away" have found their way into lead roles on the English pantomime scene.

You don't see too many Pantomimes in Australia and I'm struggling to understand sure why.  In Adelaide I was involved in a number of Pantos which were very successful, but I have been told by many theatre friends that they do not appeal to audiences.  I guess the trick is to realise that pantomimes are not solely aimed at young children - good Pantos have something for all age groups.  They are primarily good fun and a break from reality with a style of comedy that should make you laugh whether you're nine or ninety.  So I ask the question - Will a Panto work in Dural?  I hope you'll let us know if we got the formula right with Dick Whittington.

Dick Whittington went to London to seek his fortune and history books tell us that in true life he went on to become the Lord Mayor and was knighted - Sir Richard Whittington.  Perhaps the streets weren't paved with gold as he expected - but there clearly has always been something special about this capital city on the River Thames.

- Eddie Bruce, President DMS

Production:

Director	Eddie Bruce
Musical Director	Jane Van Balen
Choreography	Jordana Owens Lisa Clarke
Musicians	Hugh Humphreys (Piano) Stuart Boyd (Drums)
Fencing Coach	Adam Oliveri
Costume Coordinators	Judy Clarke Julie Pogue
Stage Manager	Domenic Floriano
Lighting & Sound Design	Ian Hardstaff

The Cast:

Dick Whittington	Mia Marks
Alice Fitzwarren	Tiffany Marks
Sarah the Cook	Ben Wilson-Hill
Idle Jack	Daniel McLean
Captain Cuttle	Christian Wiley
Mate Scuttle	Jason Kissane
Alderman Fitzwarren	John Nawotka
Tommy the Cat	Anna Watanabe
Fairy Silverchime	Rachel Bajanov
Others	Andrew McLean Keira Glasgow Briony Mann Daniel Clarke Colleen Birnie Hector McLeod Tom Byrne Beverley Phillis Angela Anthopoulos Stephanie Quaglia Cassandra Stathos Nicola McClean Paige Vernon Ben Byrne Josh Vernon Maddy Vernon

Gallery: