It’s time for a pantomime
Mossel Bay has a history of staging pantomimes at Christmas time, but this has not happened in a long while.
It is surely time this tradition were reinvigorated.
Imagine the town hall beautifully decorated, a red carpet flowing down the front steps, a giant, bedecked Christmas tree in the foyer, where you can lay a gift for a needy person, and doormen welcoming you and taking your ticket.
Then you proceed into the soon-to-be packed hall to enjoy one of those traditional treats, such as Sleeping Beauty,
Snow White or Jack and the Beanstalk. There could be an orchestra or ensemble, providing the music.
Poll
Perhaps there should be a poll, asking people which fairytale they would most like to see.
Mossel Bay
Creative Cultures Association
(MOCCA) head
Petronel Baard said: "It's a good idea to have a pantomime, especially as Parnassus, the Community Art
Centre in town, has music, drama and dance integrated.
Baard said: "Philip Davel of Parnassus put on an Alice in Wonderland ballet in the town hall last year at Christmas and it was a great success. There are many really talented people in Mossel Bay.
"Always in December, it is chaos in Mossel Bay, so we should perhaps think of it taking place in November or the beginning of December, unless we want to make it a highlight of the summer season.
"Scrooge is always so entertaining. Otherwise, we could even get someone to write an original pantomime," Baard enthused.
She continued: "The Arts Society put on many pantomimes. One of theirs - the Pirates of Penzance - springs to mind. Mossel Bay has an old history of pantomimes."
The right lighting, music
Alta Coetzer, who teaches speech and drama, at Parnassus, said: "It would be really good if people could come to our drama school to work on the pantomime. The town hall will be great venue, with the right lighting and music." Mossel Bay Arts Society chairman Abé Meintjes also gave a thumbs up and said: "I like the idea. It could become a symbol of Mossel Bay bouncing back and beating the effects of disaster. We have a wealth of excellent artists in our area. In terms of our mission, the Arts Society wholeheartedly supports artistic initiatives in our community."
But Meintjies said there were a few practical hurdles, some of which the Arts Society had had to manage since the lockdown: Restriction on number of attendees at any event. Management of the event in terms of health protocols. A large proportion of the population being in the "high risk" age group.