This year we will be putting on our 30th annual pantomime, following a tradition that started all the way back in 1990 with our very first production. So we thought we’d take a look back over the past 3 decades, from the early beginnings to today’s beloved annual event.

We began pantomimes in 1990 as a way of involving folk in something that was fun and enjoyable for all ages.  Terry, our minister both at that time and today, looked at scripts in the music and drama library, and began writing Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and he’s been writing them ever since! 

We do repeat them from time to time! We have always included local references and names to make the shows more accessible, and little has changed over the years in terms of story lines – whoever turns up gets a part or a job of some sort.

A lot of the folk from our early years are no longer with us – Kath Chester, Leila Pickwell, and Bill Raby, but others like Heather and David are still firm favourites year after year. Irene has always looked after costumes and roped others in to sewing too. And Jonathan has done the music every year apart from 1990. when Irene was the pianist as Jonathan was at university in Leeds.

Sue Wells has been in many of the shows, and her dad and mum kept the shows on the road when Terry and Irene were in Nottingham between 2003 and 2012, by using Terry’s scripts. They also run the choc ice stall during the interval, which is a highlight for many children.

This year we will be showing Dick Whittington, with some new cast members joining the old hands, along with our wonderful choir to make it as fun as ever. We hope to see you there.

Take a trip down memory lane

Here are some photos taken through the years at our pantomimes. We’ll add some more from the church’s history folder, once we’ve had chance to digitise them. If you have any other photos to share with us, please send them to Amanda at admin@monksroadmethodistchurch.org.uk (or pass them on to Tim at church on a Sunday, so we can scan them and get them back to you the following week).

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