By Martin Brisland.
What a performance!
This year’s pantomime by Freemantle and Shirley Amateur Theatrical Society is Treasure Island. It is based on the children’s adventure story from 1883 by Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson.
Jim Hawkins and his loving mother Widow Hawkins, set off on an adventure across the seas in search of pirate treasure.
Accompanied by Squire Trelawney, Doctor Livesey, Captain Smallbits, and a dastardly crew of pirates, will they get to the treasure before the pirates do? Does X mark the spot?
It was their best pantomime production yet with some great corny jokes, lots of singalong and opportunities for audience participation. The costumes and scenery were excellent.
It was genuinely hard to highlight individual outstanding performances. There were so many good examples. Well done to everyone.
Obviously, young Jack Hawkins gets a mention as does the excellent widow Hawkins.
Also impressive were the English gentlemen squires and the singers who came on at the front of the stage.
The children in the audience were absolutely engaged and loved being part of the show. It was a lovely touch to give out pirate hats and sweets to the children.
The MND Association is the society’s charity of the year. They will be thankful for the charitable contribution from this group to help defeat motor neurone disease.
Freemantle and Shirley Amateur Theatrical Society (FASATS) are an amateur group drawn mainly from the west side of Southampton. They embody the spirit of grass roots amateur dramatics. Members range in age from ten years of age to over seventy.
The group was originally formed by Mary Roberts in 1978 as Freemantle Amateur Dramatics Society. Later they relocated to Redbridge Community School and then became known as Redbridge Amateur Theatrical Society. The group moved to the new Freemantle Community Centre in 2009 and renamed as Freemantle and Shirley Amateur Theatrical Society.
Congratulations to Vicki Ashton and the whole cast for an uplifting show and a Happy Christmas to you all!
There are performances on 6th December at 2.00pm and 7.30pm.
Tickets start at £5.50 and can be bought on the door at Freemantle Community Centre, via fasats.co.uk or call 07850 522979.
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