Crusoe Panto coming to Prospect Theatre
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from January 1991.
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It is a traditional English panto with the male lead being played by a girl, Janice Huckaby and the 'dame' Sarah Crusoe, Robinson's widowed mother, played by Peach Blossom, the pseudonym of a Drama Society actor.
The Society is billing it as all-round family entertainment with a story 'very loosely' based on the Daniel Defoe classic. They say it has enough special effects and twists in the plot to keep even the smallest child riveted to its seat.
The story tells of Robinson Crusoe, his brother Billy and their widowed mother's (Sarah) quest for buried treasure. Juanita, a Brazilian wench tells them that the booty, belonging to her pirate uncle, is buried somewhere on a mysterious island in the Atlantic called The Misty Grey Isle in the East.
The Crusoes embark on a journey from their native land of Grand Cayman to visit this island via Rio de Janeiro. Along the way Robinson falls in love with Josephine, the daughter of Josiah Skinflint, a wealthy Englishman. But Josephine is captured by the evil Sheikh Allah Badah Bugeye and his nasty partner in crime, Cupess the Sorceress. The girl has been captured because her father had a murky past and crossed swords with another nasty piece of work - The Sea Witch. The witch wants Josephine to extract the girl's beauty and yes...the wicked witch lives on that mysterious isle in the Atlantic.
There are cannibals on the island led by Canibola and his wife Graziola but the good fairy, The Fairy of Hearts Desire helps the Crusoes.
Man Friday and various other characters like Neat and Nutty, Captain Jeremiah Cockle of the good ship The Saucy Sal and his mate Mr. Mussel pop up along the way on the Misty Grey Isle.
A spokesman for the Drama Society says the kids will "just love a singing and joke telling totem pole called The Idol" who informs Robinson that the treasure lies in the Valley that is Impossible to Find. "Where's that? No one knows as nobody has been able to find it!"
Chuck and Barrie have arranged many popular numbers for the show like Hot, Hot, Hot, The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Then It's Love (a Don Williams' song).
Jackie Balls has choreographed the dances such as Portsmouth, from Mike Oldfield's hit of some years back.
Anita Wheaton will appear as herself and sing some songs, accompanied on the piano by Jack Andresen. The show is directed by Colin Wilson and produced by Tony Osborn. Should the story of the panto have whetted your appetite and you want to find out if the Crusoes find the treasure, the show runs from Wednesday 30 January until Saturday 9 February at the Prospect Theatre (tel 71998).
Performances are every evening, except Sundays, matinees on both Saturdays.
Tickets are priced at CI$10 for adults and $5 for children. Gala night 1 February tickets cost $15, obtainable from TRC Corp. Services (above Honda in Atlantic Building) or Phillips Electrical telephone 98425/95585.
