Tamworth Pantomime Company Youth Academy Variety Show

Tamworth Assembly Rooms
Mayor’s Variety Show 2009

The indefatigable Wendy Doyle, backbone of the Tamworth Pantomime Company, formed a Youth Academy fifteen weeks ago and instantly attracted about sixty enthusiastic youngsters. This one night only at the Assems was a showcase for their burgeoning talent plus a chance to enjoy the Steps dancers again and also see a few of the veterans from the pantomime company.

It was, therefore, a show for the parents and friends, who enjoyed it hugely, and it was in a good cause – the Mayor, Cllr. Brian Beales’ charities the St. Giles Hospice at Whittington and Headway, a charity that supports people who have suffered brain trauma, strokes, tumours, physical damage and the like.

Cllr. Beales has proved an excellent ambassador for the arts this year – he even went with affable good grace when Laura Doyle summoned members of the audience on stage to take part in the community dance. And it was good to see county council chairman Terry Dix among the distinguished guests; his support and genuine pleasure in the arts is one of his quieter achievements. It was apt that his granddaughter Alice took a solo role in the proceedings.

This is not, therefore, a ‘review’ of the evening in the Kenneth Tynan sense. It was not intended to be a coherent and balanced show and since some events were clearly put in after the programme was printed I cannot rave about Laura Doyle and the Hoagy Carmichael number towards the end of the first half.

It would not be appropriate to wonder why the Andy Pandy skit worked less well than last year, or to criticise the interminable and unfunny Castle Grounds Clean Up sketch. And if we were baffled by the way the excellent Terry Batham as compere sometimes went on too long it was because he was covering stage management problems backstage.

Actually the strength of the item is very dependent on the raw material – the dark scene was excellently done but the Pink Floyd number (from Umma Gumma?) is one of their more rambling self indulgences.

Perhaps at this point I should declare an interest as the director of the annual pantomime. Laura Doyle, Terry Batham and Alex Farrell are three of my star players, Juli Eccles’ Steps Dancers are a vital and exhilarating part of the productions. Wendy Doyle has long worked in mysterious anonymity with the children and last year in ‘Dick Whittington’ revealed herself to be a superb comic actress. I expected them to be brilliant, and I’m not surprised that they were. So what gives me most satisfaction is that Wendy’s Youth Academy project has begun with such enthusiasm and early achievement. Even if it did last more than three and a half hours.

Well done, Wendy Doyle.

JAG
20.4.09