Denton Variety Club – 2025
"Cinderella"
Performed of the 20th, 21st and 22nd February.
As per last year, a professionally produced script, written by Wortwell resident Julie Bolton, was purchased and adapted to DVC requirements combining local references with traditional panto themes. As usual the cast also contributed and it all worked very well.
The Poster, Programme, Review, and some Photographs appear below.
The Poster
This year's poster -
The Programme
This year's programme -
The Review
by Oldstager
This year’s presentation celebrating the world of Pantomime was a traditional classic with a strong story-line with which most people are already familiar. A fairy tale, which, when told, illustrates that kindness and service to others while suffering coercive control will eventually reap reward, but, in Cinderella’s case, only when given a helping hand. It is a truly Christian story, and so it is appropriate that it was directed by Denton’s Rev., Chris Hutton. The printed programme informed me that Chris and his wife Caroline “adapted, changed, updated and Dentonised” this version of the story which had been written by Julie Bolton.
I attended the second night’s performance which got off to a rousing start when our compere for the evening, Chris Whipps, welcomed us all to partake in the entertainment with appropriate comments, hissing and booing where necessary (Oh, yes we did !) and cheering on those deserving of encouragement and happiness.
I must say that the audience rose to every occasion and became as much a true part of the performance as those on stage were giving. This illustrated so well why Denton Variety Club’s annual panto production succeeds. It is an entertainment performed by those who love to give their time, and have fun meanwhile, while sharing all that joy with those friends, neighbours, and fellow-members of the community in which they live. Therein lies the success of DVC’s efforts. A community that comes together to benefit the community at large.
Chris Hutton, director, must take a bow for drawing together all the various threads that gave us such an evening of delight, and I have to praise all cast and those whose names appear in the programme seeing that all other parts of production build through the days and weeks before and up to the closing night. There were two performers deserving of credit who were not specifically identified in the programme, though they were named elsewhere. Two “leaves of the forest” performed in the ensemble dance and then melted back to disappear on the woodland floor!
If I were to start picking out individuals for the special talents they brought to the entertainment I would be remiss in not giving other, but equal, praise where it was deserved, because it was obvious to me that all on stage performed with gusto and commitment to ensure the success of the evening, even the voluntary wand wavers !
Congratulations to all. DVC did it again !
Photographs
Thanks to Mark Richards, a selection appears here, but many more are available!
Magazine Centre-spread
Oh Yes She Will!
Oh Yea! Oh Yea!
The Fairies.
The Maids.
The Uglies.
Lady Netherworthy's Gang
Poor Old Buttons.
The Baron's Family, Less Cinders.
Cinders with Dad.
Where the Slipper Went Missing.