WIND whipped up in Teesdale last week, tugging at leaves and bending trees, and blowing all kinds of magic into town including, rather aptly, cast members of this year’s traditional Christmas pantomime at The Witham, in Barnard Castle.
The Wizard of Oz alongside Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Glinda the Good Witch gave youngsters from Green Lane School a sneak preview of what is in store this December.
It is the third time Redcar-based Tom Rolfe Productions, have staged a pantomime at the arts centre, having previously wowed audiences with traditional shows Jack and the Beanstalk and Sleeping Beauty.
Mr Rolfe said: “The Wizard of Oz is not a show that we have done at Christmas before. We have done it as a half-term and summer show, but it’s a first at Christmas.
“There will be some nice moments in the show including when good witch Glinda makes it snow for Dorothy. It’s a new show for Barnard Castle that has some great comedic moments and we’ve even written some new jokes this year.”
Eleaner Alderson, who made her debut with the company last year as Princess Jill, takes on the role of wind-swept Dorothy, while Darlington-based actor Dan Copeland makes his debut as the man behind the curtain, the Wizard. Matt Campbell returns this year as Cowardly Lion with Mike Raw as Tin Man, Samantha Moore as Glenda the Good Witch and Lee Goode as Scarecrow.
At The Witham last week, during the launch of this year’s panto, youngsters were treated to a magical rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the famous song from the musical.
There will be two daily performances of the panto on eight selected dates between Thursday, December 14 until Sunday, December 24, with the exception of Monday, December 18, and matinee only performances on Sunday, December 17, and Thursday, December 21.
Tickets for The Wizard of Oz cost £15 (U16s, £12) available from The Witham box office.
n Ahead of their Christmas performances, Tom Rolfe Productions will stage another Halloween Spooktacular show following the success of last year’s event.
Join Tommy the Ghostbuster and gang on Thursday, November 2, at 2pm as they embark on a Halloween adventure.
Tickets for the family friendly show cost £36 for a family of four, and are available through The Witham box office.
