South Yorkshire Times and Express – Saturday 3 January 1953
Kilnhurst “Aladdin”
Fortnight’s Pantomime Opens in Mexborough
With two long-established principals, Doreen Ward and Beryl Jones, missing from the cast of this year’s Christmas pantomime, Kilnhurst Amateur Theatrical Society could have been sympathised with if its “Aladdin,” which started a fortnight’s run at the Royal Cinema, Mexborough, on Monday, had not come up to their usual panto standard.
But two new principals—old members in new roles—have come up to maintain the society’s record of good runs.
For June Edwards, the society’s dancing mistress, has become an excellent Aladdin. She has the looks, naturally she has the dancing, her singing was clear and pleasant, and her acting compared well with the usual pantomime rating. Aileen Hill, too, made a charming Princess So-Shi, with a lovely voice that will assure the society of a principal girl for several productions yet. And if either of these two fail, there is a ready-made stand-in in the person of Barbara Gray, a little flat in her acting, but with an astonishingly clear and accurate range in her singing, who did well as Blossom.
The flatness was rather typical of the production earlier in the week. Combined with a little slowness that will probably have picked up by the end of this week, it was most noticeable in the chorus. A team of good dancers and good singers, they let themselves down with frequent blank expressions and postures whenever they were not performing. It was the production’s only real fault; the action was slowed down from its briskness in singing and dancing by the steadiness of the dialogue and by some underplaying.
The pantomime was bright and colourful, however, and just the thing for the children, its primary objective. The dancing, under the supervision of Miss Edwards, was rhythmic and the singing, except when it became a little inaudible, was first-class.
Frank Gladwin’s “stock” part of the Grand Vizier was transformed when his rich baritone burst out, and he provided the balance for the three principal female voices. The four “funny-men”—Widow Twankey (Ted Burkinshaw), Wishy Washy (George Kirton), Hi (Jack Hudson) and Lo (Bill Shirley)—could have done with more pace, but they were certainly popular, and Ted Burkinshaw, incidentally, was a ravishing beauty for a pantomime Dame.
Most Chinese-like accent and acting came from Roland Oliver, as the Emperor, and it mixed incongruously but rather effectively with the Yorkshire idiom and local colour provided by some of the other comedians. Producer Tom Bamford’s Abanazar was a beautiful piece of malevolent wickedness, and Molly Woosey and Colin Hague appeared very well disguised as the Genies of Ring and Lamp.
The chorus work was good, and showed keen training. Most popular were the June Edwards Dancing Tots, and though the Tots, six little girls aged two or three, obviously could not claim the proficiency of the older girls, they were as enthusiastically received as their ages might suggest.
The orchestra, conducted by Vera Williams, the musical director, were sympathetic to the cast, and costumes, scenery and lighting were all colourful.
Chorus work and dancing were by J. Squires, V. Squires, M. Dockray, G. Barlow, M. Turton, M. Pears, M. Bamford, G. Whitaker, A. Edwards, J. Oliver, N. Shaw, B. White, L. Beecham, D. Case, I. Hudson, N. Jarvis and B. Gray.
The pantomime runs until January 10th, with afternoon matinees on the two Saturdays.