After what seems like an eternity, the community can once again enjoy an evening full of fun and laughter at a pantomime! This year PODS are bringing an all time favourite, traditional classic to Penarth for everyone to enjoy. 

Here at Penarth View, we speak to the Press Officer for PODS, Peter Knowles, who along with the whole PODS team, has worked tirelessly in preparation for the first show since the pandemic forced the Paget Rooms to close their doors. 

Speaking about the show, Peter said: “Our last panto was Aladdin which was in 2019. So when this goes on in December, it will be the first show that PODS has done for 2 whole years. They do two plays a year. One is usually a serious one, one is a comedy and then a big musical around May time.”

When the pandemic hit over a year ago, Peter explained: “In 2020, we were due to do a play called Good Night, Mr. Tom, in March.  We were doing the Full Monty musical in May and then we were doing Black Adder as a comedy in October.

“In March, the council called and said ‘That’s it, finish. You have to leave and you have to take everything out. We put everything up on the Sunday and on the Monday, the cast were doing the technical rehearsal, and that was the end. We were told that the Paget Rooms was closing to the public and the performance couldn’t go ahead. It was at that point where everything went completely crazy and no one knew what was happening. Everyone was in panic mode and everything just started closing. That same week, we were told to close Hamptons, so it all just happened at the same time. Goodnight, Mr. Tom didn’t happen and the set was just taken away and put back into the society’s warehouse.”

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Once news broke that theatres would be allowed to resume productions, the entire PODS cast as well as members of the community were delighted. Talking about that moment, Peter added: “When we announced that we were definitely doing the panto, the buzz was amazing. We have had more people audition for Cinderella than we have ever had for a panto. So many people wanted to be in it. People who have never done panto before, because there is no other productions going on, everyone was desperate to be in something. We were in the really fortunate position of having a really great team of people who all auditioned.” 

“The sad thing is, you can’t give everyone a part. There are a number of minor roles that we have been able to embellish because there was somebody who was just so great, who didn’t get the part they auditioned for, but they’ve been given a slightly minor role. Andy has written it, so it’s not a script that we’ve had to buy and not been able to do a thing with. We have been able to adapt the script slightly to enable us to accommodate as many people in as many parts as possible.”

“There was a big debate in the society whether or not to go ahead with the production. We decided that if we didn’t go ahead with it, and then everything was fine, there would be no pantos for the second year running. All the prospective cast members and the PODS committee all agreed that it would be better for us to plan to do the panto and have it cancelled than not do it and it would have been fine. If it’s cancelled, it’ll be because of circumstances beyond our control.”

“If things happen and theatres have to close again, we won’t be alone in this. We won’t be the only production that has had to postpone and it won’t be the first time that a panto has happened not at Christmas. So we decided that it made sense to plan for the pantomime at Christmas in the normal, traditional, family panto time and follow all the guidelines that we are given to ensure the cast, crew and audience can be kept as safe as possible given the circumstances. If things change then we will adapt accordingly.”

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Andy who has a rich theatrical background, has been a wonderful attribute to the PODS team. Bringing his experience and his creative flare to the set, Cinderella is expected to bring an evening full of laughter. 

“Andy’s background is in children’s theatre and television. He has been in panto for a long time, in London Westend pantos, so his knowledge of how panto works is really good. What we’ve tried to do with the panto is give it and element of musical theatre as well. So in addition to having all the traditional stuff that you’d expect to find at a panto, it has some absolutely brilliant chorus routines like the opening number and the ball room.” 

“They were setting up the ball room scene and every single character is in the ballroom. So it’s a mass, great, huge big musical number which sometimes you don’t get in a small panto. What we have tried to do is merge a really great musical production into the panto as well.”

“It’s completely suitable for all ages. That’s what we didn’t want to do, was take the panto concept, turn it into a musical and it’s not suitable for children. Pantomimes should be for all ages, it’s a family thing.” 

If you want an evening full of laughter, love and a little bit of magic, then you shall go to the ball! Grab your tickets here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/pods