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What makes a good panto?
Goodies and baddies, music and songs, a talking animal, bad jokes and colourful costumes for starters.
All will be found in abundance in this year’s offering from Dingwall Players, the group promises.
And the fun starts this weekend with Dingwall Town Hall as the venue for performances running across three days and starting on Thursday.
It has been going from strength to strength in recent years with a variety of performances across different genres.
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But it has faced its challenges.
Eight years ago, the group’s clubrooms at the old Dingwall Academy were burnt in a fire that destroyed everything gathered down the years including various period costumes and club-made garments.
This was a huge loss and threatened the very survival of the club. However, largely due to local support over the years since 2015, the Players have once again amassed a costume wardrobe that has allowed them to perform spectacular dramas like Treasure Island, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the annual pantomime which has now become a traditional part of Christmas in the area.
Pantomime in particular makes many demands on costume and Kirstine Thomson has been working with a small team of dedicated members to try to ensure that every year, panto costumes bring a touch of colour and sparkle to the shows.
This year is no exception as the Players bring The Wicked Witches of Oz by Peter Nuttall to the stage in Dingwall Town Hall.
Kirstine Thomson said: “This year’s costumes have come from many sources provided and made by members and friends of the club, but without doubt the costumes we have gathered over the last eight years have given us a great basis to do present and future productions.
“Costumes donated by the wider community are greatly appreciated by the club”
The fruits of this year’s efforts can be seen in Dingwall Town Hall on December 7, 8 and 9.
There are two performances on the Saturday with a special matinee scheduled. Full details and tickets at www.dingwallplayers.org
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