Pantomime

Took GDs to see Cinderella today and we all really enjoyed it! They did have those light-sabre thingies on sale, but no one was fighting in the aisles and even the tiniest of children seemed mesmerised by the spectacular special effects.

I wouldn't take young children to the later performance though, it seems to be a different atmosphere somehow.

My Christmas present to my friend is a trip to a local pantomime (including an icecream in the interval !). It will be the first panto she has ever been to -she is in her sixties- and quite excited I think/hope.

We went to see Cinderella at the Leicester De Montfort Hall this afternoon and I can honestly say it was the worst panto I have ever seen. Costs a small fortune to go but it was produced on the cheap.

The cast, the costumes, the non existant stage sets, the script were all dire.

The costumes were everyday wear, no colour, no imagination no sparkle, no nothing. Who the heck dresses them in normal, drab clothing that you could go and buy from the high street. I thought at one stage I was watching a production of Annie. Pantomime is all about fairy tale, fun and lavish costumes surely to goodness.

Even her ball gown and wedding dress were plain. Very cross about it actually.

Such a shame Pogs......Pantomine should have that touch of the magical....and definitely other worldly. I get such fun out of doing our costumes...all on a shoe string budget but I collect up fabric from charity shops throughout the year and adapt old paper patterns or treat myself to the odd American costume pattern from Amazon - our Dame's outfit was a delightful mixture of rococo flounces in shades of bright pink, turquoise and purple....a joy to behold.

All being well we are doing Cinderella next year so I get to do the holy grail of Panto...a transformation scene costume change.....will be casting around for anything glitzy and garish for the next 10 months!

Oh, POGS it sounds the complete opposite of the production we watched this afternoon! What a let-down for you and yours - as you say, it should have been a magical experience.

Taking dgc to see Beauty and the Beast on Friday. Have seen several Qudos productions so know it's going to be glitzy and scary in equal measure! Looking forward to it,

The lady who owned the nursery where DS went ( he is now 12) still organises a yearly panto trip. This year 150 0f us went to see Sleeping Beauty at the Grand Blackpool. I gave some spare tickets to a friend of DD and her son. It was their first panto and they loved it!

The panto dh and 2gc and I went to see was Aladdin. On sale were butterflies windmills and light swords. These flashed very brightly and were waved around. I didn't mind in the interval but when the lights went down it was very distracting right in front of our eyes. At one point the grandmother told them to turn them off, but it didn't last. I am going to complain to the theatre, if they can tell people to turn off their mobiles, surely they can ask for these things to be turned off during the performance .My grandchildren didn't ask us to buy them one. I wouldn't want the company to lose money buy not selling them but they were a blessed nuisance .