Kells drama group act the goose!

Look behind you! It's started! Kells Musical And Dramatic Society's pantomime, Mother Goose, is described as "a rip roaring show that will take you on a great adventure". The society's 34th annual pantomime continues to run nightly until this Sunday, February 7, in St Vincent De Paul Theatre, Kells. The pantomime is written and directed by Kells man John Grant and the 60-strong cast showcases some fine talent with a mix of newcomers and longstanding members. "The society is a very vibrant one which gives new talented people joining a chance to perform not only in the annual pantomime but in all the shows during the year. We welcome new people; it keeps the group fresh and the great spirit of enthusiasm alive," comments John Grant. Talented cast Mother Goose will feature the beautiful singing voice of newcomer Diane Mallon, who makes her debut as the beautiful leading girl Violet Goose. Another actor getting promotion is Stuart Anderson, who will play the part of Danny Dimwitt. Cover your eyes and hold your breath as the wicked evil and nasty Demon Doomsday (played by John Grant) flies in to terrorise the village and plague the audience with his evil and nasty plans. The lovable and lively panto dame, Mother Goose, will be played by the one and only Alan Mongey, revelling in this loud-mouth, wise-cracking, womanly mantle. The hilarious comic team are back - oh, yes they are! The experienced duo of Paul Rogers and Gary Byrne play the hilariously funny Squiddles and Diddles; Sarah Insley plays the role of a spoilt, crazed, wannabe actress who gets her comeuppance in the end; Kevin McLoughlin gets another lead role as he plays Nedser Goose, the dame's hen/goose-pecked husband; Rosealeen Grant plays a hip fairy, who spends every second on stage trying to get a cure for her swine flu; and Pat Byrne is the mean and selfish Baron Wasteland. The eponymous star is the delightful, gentle feathered friend to all, Priscilla, the six-foot-tall magical goose played by Linda Nelson. The responsibility of the leading man is played by the experienced James Reilly. The royalty will arrive to pass judgement on the behaviour of the stingy and mean Mother Goose as Sarah Van Zenten gets promoted to her first major role as Queen Goose. Miss Frost is played by Ruth Anderson who also gets her promotion. And don't forget to keep looking behind you, just in case Cecil, the high executioner (played by Andrew Quigley), chops off your head if you don't join in the panto fun! John speaks highly of the cast and says the show, which started last weekend, has been bringing down the house so far. "These actors have great stage presence and a lot of talent and will bring a new dimension to the show. Many performers have come up through the ranks to take a vital role in the production and we don't think the audience will be disappointed." In chorus Other roles being played are the chorus of village neighbours: Emer Gogorty, Colin McGovern, Anita McGovern, Sarah van Zenten, Ruth Anderson, Gema Heary, Mandy Lawless, Marianne Fuentre, Ben Toal and Brian Dunne. Keep an eye also on the rising stars, namely all the young villagers and ghosts, who are the future of the society: village children are Salomie Riva, Rachel O'Rourke, Dean Thompson, Kevin Mc Cabe, Aoife Dunne, James Farrelly, Ellis Mollison, Sarah Clarke, Emma Matthews and Mikey Kenny; village orphans are Lisa Hamilton, Lauren Thompson, Emma Matthews, Ciara Curran, Erin Mollison, Amy Nelson and Jamie Leigh Feehan; the demon zombies are Ellis Mollison, Lauren Thompson, Callum McDonnell, Darren McConnell, Cian Flanagan, Mikey Kenny, Emma Matthews, Jamie Leigh Feehan, Sarah Clarke and Rachel O'Rourke. A pantomime wouldn't be complete without dancers and this year's show is no exception. The dance troupe from the Academy and Agency under the direction of Sheila Garvey have been working very hard and explode onto the Kells stage to bring you top class dance routines yet again. Costumes are by Linda Sheridan; set design is by Pat Byrne, John Grant, Gary Byrne and Vinnie Ginnity; Brian O'Neill and Martin Sheridan are on lighting and the committee are working hard under the direction of John. • To make bookings, telephone 046-9241844 or 087-2079557. Group reservations can be made.