Pirates and parrots in Chapel Players' panto

What links the Women's Institute, a parrot called Polly, and the black spot? It's Chapel Players' brilliant pantomime, Treasure Island, by Ben Crocker.

A rollicking band of pirates, led by Long John Silver (Ben Simpson) are ("arrr") looking for a treasure map, so they can become rich beyond their wildest dreams. Unfortunately, they’re slowed down by their own incompetence, as well as our plucky heroes – Jim Hawkins (Eden Evdemon), his mum Dame Hawkins (Alan Tolley), Squire Trelawney (John Gilberthorpe) and his daughter Jenny (Erin Johnson). Add to that the Smugglers’ Cove Women’s Institute, led by the formidable Mrs Henderson (Nichola Hallows), and the pirates come well and truly unstuck.

Various pirates and parrots provide the comedy – with Sam and Willy played by mother and daughter Helen and Cerys Bates, and plenty of laughs from Blood Boiler (Tim Hodgkinson), Gizzard Slitter (Dan Mason), and The Fridge (Marcus Thorpe). Ros Ellis steals the show somewhat as Polly the geriatric parrot, who just wants to sit on a piratical shoulder. Special mention has to go to Bert the parrot too, who takes part in the community number with gusto!

This is one of the biggest casts ever for a Chapel Players panto, with around 20 adults taking part. The chorus is incredibly talented, and with some members only 10 years old, the society’s looking forward to seeing them onstage again in the future.

Reviews from the first weekend have been really positive and there are still a few tickets left for this weekend – www.ticketsource.co.uk/chapel-players. Don’t miss out!