A Smashing Panto

How many EFOGers can you get round a table in Pizza Express? The answer – a lot – until the plates get bigger. We had just reached that point and were creating an 'extension' when we heard a plate smash and the cry “Fred!!!”. That plucky man had managed to catch the pizza as his plate slipped under the table. Good job it wasn't soup.

We then met up with the others in the Theatre Royal at Stratford to see 'Beauty and The Beast' – a little different from the usual panto fare but still great fun. The singing was good the dancing excellent; the dialogue very clever. I really liked the puppets and the magic tricks. The Dame supplied 'body parts' humour in a droll kind of way, the slinky wicked witch and her nutty daughter were determined to “baddify” the world but didn't succeed (and became “goodified” in the end of course).The “cute” bear (especially when he took his costume off) and Peter Pan got us singing and – quite rightly – Belle ended up preferring the Beast to the Prince – so he turned back to what he was.

As we all left, to continue writing our own life's stories I realised that, although I had enjoyed the Stratford, show something inside missed corny old Greenwich – ah well there's always next year …...... wonder if Fred can repeat his performance?

Pam, 17th January 2015