WE MISS our local theatre, so it was good to see that The Laver’s Entertainers have still put on their New Year Pantomine.

We asked key member, Chris Benton, how they went about it.

Chris said:

“There is a great tradition amongst our local Essex Villages (Matching
Tye and Magdalen Laver) of putting on a New Year’s Panto.

Usually we have our opening night on the last Friday in January.

Obviously not to be this year, but surely we wouldn’t let a small thing like a global pandemic stop us putting on our annual extravaganza?!

So we cobbled together our regular cast’s best bits (all individually filmed
whilst in lockdown) into a virtual video Panto.

We launched it on YouTube on Friday night and the feedback on our chat groups has been absolutely amazing with over 1000 views already.

“I do hope that anyone who has never been to an amateur production like ours gets a sense of the fun and energy this injects into the community.

“We really hope you enjoy this, and forgive our self indulgence.

“PS do watch it on a TV screen not a mobile. This is big screen entertainment at its most average!

Dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Colin Thompson, who was a
huge part of the Lavers Entertainers for so many years.

We have set up
a Cancer Research fund raising page in his honour. If you would like
to donate, just follow the link below:-
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/colin-thompson-lavers-entertainers-legend

BTW here is the outtakes video link…. https://youtu.be/tPSo65v0swI