Green Room to Grin and Bear it this Christmas
Action to rescue Victoria Viaduct is now underway but some disruption to Carlisle’s Christmas events is inevitable.
Nestling behind is Carlisle’s longest-running theatre run by Carlisle Green Room Club. On first glance, you’d think the little theatre was currently out of bounds but if you head down from the city’s historic quarter it’s clear that Christmas isn’t cancelled in West Walls.
According to Tim Baugh, Mitch Ralley and Jason Munn who are jointly directing this year’s show, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, the city’s ‘alternative’ family Pantomime is set for another big year.
“There’s been a Panto here every year since the sixties and we’d hate to bring that to an end. Thankfully, the theatre and entrance are safe and we’ve been given the go-ahead to return.”
Local knowledge, in-jokes and a sense of extended family have long been the Panto’s unique selling point, and club stalwart Jason says he won’t be changing that. Shenanigans with food – not just porridge – are a hearty staple of the show, so are the boys sticking to Panto ‘meat and two veg’ or are they tempted to try something different?
“People come to Panto with a pretty clear expectation and there’s no way we’d miss the catch phrases everyone knows or the ones that, thankfully, fly over the little one’s heads but make dad chuckle. We’ve updated a few things for the smartphone generation and Jason is playing Goldilocks as the dame but even our heroes are misfits in this story.”
You only have to turn on the news to find your pantomime villain in 2019: “We settled on a Greatest Showman-type character gone bad,” said Tim. “It suits the topsy-turvy nature of it and he also has a real flatulence problem.”
Could this be the year that evil triumphs at last? The answer is blowing in the wind.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears runs from Thursday, 28th November to Saturday 7th December at 7 pm, with weekend matinees at 2 pm.
Tickets are on sale now at the Tourist Information Centre, Carlisle Old Town Hall or call 01228 598596.
Share It:
