Peterhead Panto Group does Dick Whittington with a Doric twist

December can only mean one thing - the return of Peterhead Panto Group with another spellbinding production.

This year, the local group took on the classic panto tale of Dick Whittington and gave it their signature Doric twist.

Leading this incredible cast with strength and grace was Rhea Forman as Dick Whittington. In stark contrast to her previous role as Buttons in last year’s production of Cinderella, Rhea demonstrated her acting versatility and angelic vocals taking on the titular role. However, who would Dick Whittington be without his trusty cat?

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Taking on the role of the lazy yet loveable Thomas Cattington III was the wickedly funny Callum Anderson. Callum’s physical comedy and audience interaction had the crowd eating out of his paw.

The talented cast of this year's panto Dick Whittington.The talented cast of this year's panto Dick Whittington.
The talented cast of this year's panto Dick Whittington.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a panto without a dame. Harriet, played by Paula Stephen, is hysterically funny – even if she did have the men in the audience looking for a quick escape in parts.

Marina (the mermaid of our tale), was portrayed by Catriona Molver. Serving witty rhymes and powerhouse vocals, this mermaid certainly made a splash.

David Wilson took on the sneaky Reginald Rat. Embodying the classic panto villain, he had the audience booing and hissing in delight.

The sweet yet independent Alice was portrayed by Shovonne Cordiner. Her rendition of Hercules’ “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” was a highlight of the show.

This year's panto principals pose for a photograph.This year's panto principals pose for a photograph.
This year's panto principals pose for a photograph.

Peterhead panto newcomer Jon Mitchell had some delightfully funny moments as Captain Fishwarren and Steph Mclaughlan was a wonderful addition as Boddam Chief.

Of course, Peterhead Panto is always well known for it’s incredible chorus and this year was no exception. Ava Murphy, Josie Buckett, Mia Mena, Alba Stephen, Ebonnie Buchan, Gabriella Morrison, Carly O’Brien and Ellie McGee dazzled in group numbers with their faultless dancing and angelic harmonies. Even filling in some supporting roles, this ensemble was truly the backbone of this production.

The ensemble were joined on stage by the ever talented and incredibly cute Yellow and Orange choruses.

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Despite being at the standard of a professional production, Peterhead Panto Group is entirely volunteer led - a fact that often amazes people who see the show without knowing this. The costume team, band, chorus team, choreography team and technical crew all work countless hours to stage this incredible production and their hard work and dedication certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.

Particular mention has to go to the directing team (Callum Anderson, Claire Daniel, Grant Ogston and Stephanie Weymss) for making this production one of the best to grace Peterhead’s stage.

Overall, Dick Whittington is perhaps Peterhead Panto Group’s finest production yet. The production was staged in memory of the late Iain Small who was a legend within the group and the wider community. Iain was an integral part of the script-writing team and this was recognised in a heartfelt speech at the final performance. The entire cast and crew managed to present a spellbinding, heartwarming production filled with laughter, fun and buckets full of talent. As a panto legend once said, “Aye, good een”.