Killin Drama Club panto goes down a storm
Killin Drama Club took its audiences on a fantastic journey along the Yellow Brick Road, staging this year's panto, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in the McLaren Hall over the weekend.
Thanks to a tornado, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in the Wonderful Land of Oz, accompanied by Aunt Em and her farmhand, Skeeter. There they encounter all the famous characters including Scarecrow, Tinman and cowardly Lion.
The wicked Witch of the West discovers that Dorothy now wears the magic ruby slippers, and sets out to obtain them by fair means or foul.
This version also included the Jitterbug and the Cornfield Crows, who all appear in the original book, but not in the classic MGM film.
The pantomime followed the original storyline faithfully, but included some extra panto-style characters, such as the comic and a traditional dame – a sparkling pantomime that really captured the magic of the original story.
The popular club currently has about 50 members, including around 30 junior members, so the event really was a community affair. The cast was Dorothy – Eloise Murray; Skeeter – Myrica Reid; Aunt Em – Glenda Mardon; Glinda – Karen Lafferty; Grotbag – Kay Dowling; Fester – Chaz Kemp; Scarecrow – Sammy Hibbert; Tin Man – Susan Fraser; Lion – Colin Hay; The Gatekeeper – Michaela Smith; Madame L'Oreal – Alex Tigwell;
Coco Chanel – Eilidh Kemp; The Wizard – Lee Douglas; Commander Galen – Emilie Borgeaud; and Toto – Toto.
The supporting chorus included Caitlin Chisholm, Isla Chisholm, Kenzie Cope, Stewart Gall, Lauren Glendinning, Leah Glendinning, Lily Hill, Logan Hynd, Jai Johnstone, Scarlett Johnstone, Iona Lafferty, Harry Mathewson, Freja Mattsson, Timmy McPhee, Carlo Phillips, Olivia Phillips, Paige Riddell, Jodi Thomson, Lieke Van De Coterlet, Noa Van De Coterlet, Ben Watson, Cai Weir, Lara West, and Kaci White.
The production was directed by Gordon Hibbert, Lesley Syme as assistant director/ stage manager.
The stage crew was Davy
Fettes, Liz Stevens, Dave Syme, Clare West, while the scenery and painting was carried out by Alison Calder, Allan Chisholm, Josh Douglas, Kay Dowling, Brian Hibbert, David Mardon, Glenda Mardon, Elizabeth Murphy, and Clare West.
Keeping everyone on cue with their lines was prompt Susan McRobbie.
Choregraphy was devised by Sammy Hibbert, with all the technical wizardry carried out by Josh Douglas and Tim Wilkinson; follow spot operator Aiden West; incidental piano music, Seonag Hay and Hazel Lafferty; programme layout Lesley Syme; advertising club members, child protection and chaperone co-ordinator Eleanor Murray.