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Sinbad the Sailor, Burley Players, Village Hall, Burley

AS I left the village hall after this show I noticed a big hand-written sign at the back with the letters R U and a smiley face. And yes, I was smiling, as I did all the way through this thoroughly enjoyable panto, directed with flair by Sandy Simpson.

How could I have failed to do so? The Players are clearly blessed with numerous excellent character actors, so as the tale of Sinbad (Ali Shutler) and his rescue of Princess Yasmin (Bronte Ansell) unfolded there were many show-stealing moments to savour. Paul Berry’s endearingly lovely Dame Semolina, Richard Pratt’s wonderfully evil Vazar, John West’s benevolent Captain, Sue Trotter’s gormless Mister Mate, Chris Duell’s malevolent Barracuda and Wayne Priestley’s beautifully camp Black Hook were all a joy, and youngsters Molly White (Monty the Monkey) and Melissa Barton (Genie) also more than made their presence felt.

Pantomime should be a happy experience for everyone, and certainly in this instance everyone on stage was plainly enjoying the show as much as the audience. The fast pace, good choice of musical numbers, bright costumes, local references and, last but not least, a dancing camel, ensured that the evening was a real blast from start to finish. 

Linda Kirkman

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