YES it’s here! Oh yes it is! Throughout the land there are people dressing in strange clothing, trying out different voices, experimenting with funny walks and learning lines with more ham in them than a butcher’s shop.

From the professional stage to the village hall, many people are about to indulge in that extraordinary form of theatre we know as pantomime!

And isn’t it great that in these troubled times of Trumpton, Brexit, interminable conflict and dreadful famine, we are able to suspend belief for just a couple of hours.

All the old fairy tales are given a new twist, we all know the stories inside out and the various traditions. We all know when to shout “He’s behind you!”, or “Oh no he isn’t!”. We all know how to reply when the Fairy Godmother says “Anyone know a magic word?”

We all know the hero is a man played by a girl, and that in the end he/she will get the girl, who is actually played by a girl! We also know he will rescue her in the nick of time, and there’ll probably be a wedding. We all know what will inevitably happen, and we all love it!

Panto is literally as old as the hills. It’s very name derives from the Greeks and the Romans. Originally a single dancer played all the roles to tell an old story. Roman pantomime was usually a dance based on a myth.

In the middle ages Mummers plays contained many of the ideas now seen in pantomime, and in early English pantomime the actors were silent, performing only in dance and mime.

Pantomime has a fascinating history, well worth researching. It evolved into the modern day form with the stories of “Dick Whittington”, “Aladdin”, “Cinderella”, “Snow White” and so on, and it is remarkable that the productions always happen around Christmas time and yet make no reference to Christmas at all.

So what of the CODS Panto? Well in truth the idea came from one person. Their suggestion that the Society should do a panto at Christmas was backed up by action, and indeed words.

In fact lots of words as this person went away and wrote the script! So to name names, to point the finger as it were, it’s all Andy Kirby’s fault … oh yes it is!

Snow White and the Six and a Half Dwarves was drafted and redrafted a couple of times. People were auditioned or press ganged into the various parts and, following a very busy time for CODS with the September Evening’s, the October play and the early rehearsals for Witchfinder (our musical next year), the Snow White readings began.

Further to our last article, no new information has come forward by way of an answer to our question, so it would appear that this may possibly be the first panto the Old Town Hall has seen. It is also CODS’ first attempt at a Panto.

Formed in 1964 the Society has produced musicals, plays, concerts and Old Time Music Hall, but never a pantomime. It’s all new to us, but hang it all, we’re just big kids anyway and isn’t Panto really for children?

So here we are in the final rehearsals getting ready for our opening night. The show runs from Wednesday, December 20 to Saturday, December 23, starting at 7pm.

The Friday and Saturday performances are already sold out, but at the time of writing there are still tickets available for the Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

All the characters are ready and there are all the usual themes, the good Queen, the evil Queen and the fairy godmother, the magic mirror, a mysterious forest and a pantomime horse etc.

There’s Prince Charming and Buttons, hang on a minute I hear you say, isn’t that a different Panto? Indeed it is, but I’ll just remind you that this is CODS, and this is pre-Christmas in Crediton ... enough said!

An interesting conversation was overheard by yours truly in a local supermarket a week or so back. Two ladies were at the checkout and one said to the other, “You know this CODS Panto? How can you possibly have six and a half Dwarves?” “Well,” replied her friend, “I expect they’ve thought of that, there’ll probably be a perfectly good explanation. We will just have to wait and see when we get there.” And do you know, she is quite right!

So why not come along and find out the explanation for yourself, and bring all the family as well. There is something for everyone, from licensed bar for the grown-ups to Father Christmas for the children. Proper job, as is often heard in these parts.

Finally, from everyone in CODS may we say Merry Christmas to all our followers, friends and supporters, and we wish everyone a very Happy New Year … Oh yes we do!

Mike Palmer