Nantwich Young Farmers charity panto Beauty and the Beast

Jan 7 2009 by Will Harris, Crewe Chronicle

With the panto season in full swing, Will Harris meets a group for whom professionalism is less important than having a good time.

A PANTO tradition which goes back almost 40 years takes to the stage next week featuring burly farmers as you’ve never seen them before.

Tickets are on sale for the annual Nantwich Young Farmers charity panto Beauty and the Beast, which runs at Acton Village Hall.

The 20-strong cast of young men and women have been rehearsing earnestly and chairman Nicky Barnett says the production is beginning to come together.

“We’re not the best but it should be more entertaining that way,” she said. “Someone will forget their lines and we all look at each other and say ‘well, I don’t know what they are’. But it’s all good fun.

“We were supposed to be starting properly in mid-October but we’ve had some competitions that pushed the panto to the side a little bit.

“So it was a bit scary when we finally got cracking in December and only had a month to do it, but it’s starting to come together. With it being Christmas, it’s been difficult getting everyone together.”

Producers Matthew Mellor and Daniel Done are at the helm this year, with all the traditional panto elements promised – including a dame, played by Matthew Shelley.

“His character is full of comedy, but he’s got a sore throat from speaking with a high-pitched voice all the time,” jokes Nicky, who also takes the lead role of Beauty.

“There’s singing and dancing, which some of our guys aren’t exactly used to. But they’re getting the hang of the dancing. It was a bit of a shock to the system that they had to use their arms and legs at the same time, but it’s coming.

“The singing can be a bit tricky with the guys but the girls join in so it tends to drown them out. We do it every year so they should be used to it now.”

Many of the costumes have been hired from Bromiley’s on Edleston Road in Crewe.

Proceeds raised from the week-long show will be donated to charity, likely to be a cancer charity in memory of former Nantwich Young Farmers Will Boffey, 22, and Jane Windsor, 40, who both died in 2007.

Nicky added: “Our competitions organiser Christine Norbury also died last year and her daughter will be in the panto this time round.

“The show will run for an hour and a half with an interval, and there will also be a raffle and things like that. It should be really good fun.”

Beauty and the Beast runs at Acton Village Hall from Tuesday until Saturday, January 17. Shows start at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets are £5 from Joyce Percival on 01270 624158.