Panto without a cast appeals for new recruits

A Devon village panto, with a history spanning more than four decades, is facing the final curtain unless it can recruit new members.

Shaugh Players, based in the parish of Shaugh Prior near Plymouth, was founded in the early 1970s and stages an annual pantomime involving volunteers from the local community.

Despite attracting a full house for performances and praise from local audiences, the amateur dramatics group is on the verge of folding due to dwindling numbers.

The group is now launching an appeal for new members, in particular for those interested in performing on stage or directing the show.

Richard Vincent, chair of Shaugh Players (pictured), who has played the lead Dame in many performances, said:

"It would be such a shame for this group to fizzle out after it's been entertaining local people for such a long time. Like many rural villages, our community is changing, and it has become increasingly difficult to recruit from within the parish as the population gets older or young people move away. We're appealing for new blood to join us and save our village panto!"

It takes a cast and crew of about 50 people to stage Shaugh Players' traditional pantomime, which usually takes place over three nights and a Saturday matinee in mid-January. However, this year is the first time since 2006 that the group has been unable to stage a performance due to a lack of cast members.

"There are so many talented people in the Plymouth area and we'd like to invite them to join us," said Richard Vincent.  "You might be studying drama at school or college; you might want to have a go at performing for the first time; or you could simply be looking for a new hobby or challenge. We have roles suitable for all ages and abilities, and I can guarantee a warm welcome, lots of fun and memories that will last you a lifetime."

One of the key roles Shaugh Players is looking to fill is that of Director, following the death last year of Barry Sanigar MBE, who was the driving force behind the group. He helped to build up the amateur group over many years and has left behind a strong legacy in terms of expertise and experience.

Contributing to the community is an important focus for group, which has made donations to the local primary school and helped fund improvements to both Shaugh Prior and Lee Moor village halls over the past 10 years. 

Shaugh Players is hoping to recruit enough new members to start rehearsals this summer to stage a pantomime at Lee Moor Hall in January 2021. Despite the venue seating nearly 200 people, the group has played to sell-out crowds and hopes to repeat its past success with a rejuvenated cast.

"The frustrating thing is that we have everything in place to put on a fantastic panto - we just need more people!" explained Richard Vincent. "Despite a number of talented children joining us from the parish in recent years, we continue to struggle in finding people to take on the adult roles. You can't have a panto without a cast, so we're hoping people in the surrounding areas can get involved and help us secure the future of this tradition that means so much to the local community." 

Anyone interested in finding out more about taking part in Shaugh Players' pantomime, should email, shaughpanto@gmail.com