It's Panto Party time...

Wednesday 28 October is the date for your diaries. This year's talent packed cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be on stage from 1pm to present snippets of the show followed by a screening of the Disney Snow White film.
Tickets are FREE but you do need to book in advance with the Box Office on 01923 711063.

An apology...

for being away for so long!
It's now June and we never thought we'd leave you alone for so long, not that anyone has really missed Watersmeet's absent blog!

It's been a pretty crazy few months.

Watersmeet has now joined the Facebook craze...not sure that's the right move but maybe that's cause we're not used to all this social networking stuff and don't mention Twitter! How do people find the time to tweet? It's all beyond me. And do I really need to know what someone has had for breakfast? Well, apparantly yes I do. Urm.
No doubt we're be tweeting over Snow White and Seven Dwarfs in the run up to panto season but for now I need to come to turns with Facebook first and try to make an entry or two on our blog.

No one is in the Green Room...

Hello everyone

It's very quiet and quite lonely at Watersmeet.

All the cast have said their goodbyes and left to fulfil their dreams for 2009. The scenery is on its way back to somewhere up North and the costumes and props are all packed and parcelled up ready to go back to Manchester and Ruislip.

The Christmas decorations have been put away for another year.

The Big Pants that hung from the ceiling are now archived.

And it's so quiet. No more happy families passing through the doors to old Peking. No more Citrus Brothers causing madness and mayhem in the foyer...still that's not all bad.

But enough doom and gloom. Aladdin may be behind us...oh yes it is...but plans for panto 2009 are already steaming along!

This years production from Paul Holman Associates will be the enchanting story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and guess what? Tickets are on sale now and two performances have SOLD OUT! How's that for organisation!

So we hope to welcome you all back to panto 2009 and in the mean time, keep visiting our Green Room as we will update you with what's happening and announce the cast on our blog as soon as we know.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone who came to see Aladdin. The feed back we've had on the show has been truly wonderful and we're sure Snow White will be just as impressive, just as entertaining and just as magical.

Happy New Year to you.

And if you want to be an organised person and book for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs you can do it now, here! http://www.watersmeet.co.uk/

The crew stepped out of the Green Room and onto the stage last night...

...and what a performance!

For those of you not familar with theatre or more to the point, crewing, crew people are a rare and beautiful species.

They get up late and then go to bed late. So a bit like students only older. I'd have opted for maturer but that would be wrong.

They are hardly ever seen. In fact you would probably only see them by accident if a scene change went wrong. Although there is an urban myth that sometimes they can be seen in the local Chinese restaurant, which reminds me, to be real proper crew you have to live off a bad diet and fizzy pop.

They live a life of wearing black. All the colour in their lives comes from...um, spectacular costumes, stunning scenery, dazzling lights, Chinese take aways...

Occasionally their socks can let them down in a black out.

They work hard, play hard and their humour is normally quite hard too, certainly not humour you would expect at a family pantomime.

So last night was all about THE CREW. Our ever so talented, ever so not shy, ever so clever crew and we're proper proud right now!

Historically, at the end of panto, the crew present their alternative version of the show. This is a tradition all over the country and one Watersmeet has upheld for years.

Last night's audience of cast and staff were in for a real treat. Sadly, this observer cannot share too much of the alternative Aladdin with you, but it was fast, in fact it was racy, risky and ridiculously clever.

Laugh? Not 'arf!

It's amazing how these beautiful people who hide away in the wings, closet themselves in the Green Room and only come out for air when they need it to be fresh, can be so different when centre stage!

Written and directed by the very clever, very inspiring, very talented Libby, the show involved quick changes Widow Twankey would have been envious of, lighting design our director could only have dreamed off and fight scene music that spoke volumes.

Aladdin was played by Zac and Rob. Confused? That was the point of the story. Confusion reins in the world of Aladdin.

Louisa and Libby took turns at being Princess Jasmine and the Genie of the Keys with performances that can only be described as honest, heartfelt and hilarious.

The boys swapped roles for a while and became IveBeenToRada, previously known as Abanazar, have-a-banana, have-a-chill-pill, interspersed with proper royal performances of Empiric size, and an award winning characterisation of Widow Twankey which should have seen the lads honoured in the New Years Honours list. Come on, a Dame hood surely?

Well done crew. You conquered. You dazzled and delighted all.

Five out of five.

Kelly has entered the Green Room

Kelly does all the admin for the Leisure department and works in the box office and behind the bar. She also starred in our victory carnival parade back in May as Aladdin. Despite being such a busy bee she has pooped into the Green Room!


Wmt: How many pantos have you been a part of?
Kelly: This is my 3rd Panto working for Watersmeet. But I was part of one when I was 12 and I was pulled up on stage so really it's my fourth :-)


Wmt: What's been the best moment of rehearsals so far or the build up to opening night?
Kelly: For me it is everything about the lead up to Panto. You know Christmas is coming, the decorations are starting to appear in windows and then it's Panto time!


Wmt: Have you had anything testing, tricky or particularly difficult to do this week or during the run?
Kelly: Nothing too tricky yet but I shouldn't say that!


Wmt: If you had to identify with a character from Aladdin, who would it be and why?
Kelly: I'd like to say the genie or Princess Jasmine but I'm not too sure as I have only worn the Aladdin costume so I should probably say that really!


Wmt: What's you favourite panto and why?
Kelly: Any! I just love watching all the kids and parents faces light up from start to finish!


Wmt: How will you be feeling at the opening performance of Aladdin and how will you feel when the curtain comes down on the final performance?
Kelly: I think there's always a feeling of anticipation and excitement of every performance! The best thing about live panto is it's never quite the same twice! And sadly before you know it IT'S BEHIND YOU!!! Hehe!

Charlotte has entered the Green Room

Charlotte is the Active Communities Officer for TRDC and she also works in the Box Office. Last year she helped out at the launch of Cinderella and became a Fairy Godmother for the day!

Wmt: How many pantos have you been a part of?
Charlotte: Cinderella last year and Aladdin this year
What's been the best moment of rehearsals so far or the build up to opening night?
Charlotte: Launching Cinderella last year - I got to dress up as the Fairy Godmother, travel in a horse and carriage and spend the day at Moor Park Mansion, whilst waving my magic wand!
Wmt: Have you had anything testing, tricky or particularly difficult to do this week or during the run?
Charlotte: Remembering everything I need to do in the Box Office
Wmt: If you had to identify with a character from Aladdin, who would it be and why?
Charlotte: Princess Jasmine, because I am quite simply a wannabe Princess! ;-) oh and it would be wicked to fly on a magic carpet!
Wmt: What's you favourite panto and why?
Charlotte: I remember going to see Aladdin when I was younger and got invited up onto the stage to sing the song at the end - so I guess it would have to be that Aladdin!
Wmt: How will you be feeling at the opening performance of Aladdin and how will you feel when the curtain comes down on the final performance?
Charlotte: Excited, because it will feel like Christmas is just around the corner and at the end, I think I will just be plain exhausted!!!

Thank you for coming into the Green Room Charlotte. Merry Christmas to you!

What are the audience saying?

It doesn't really matter what the press say, although we all love a glowing review, what we really like to hear is the comments from families and children and here's a comment we wanted to share with you:

http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=119495

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/search/?search=aladdin+watersmeet
and the critic from the Watford Observer loved the show too!