Review – Beccles & Bungay Journal – Jan 1980
Who said the Norfolk dialect was dying out certainly not the Loddon Pantomime Players who are currently presenting “Mother Goose” at Hobart High School.
Judging from last night’s first public performance, the Players motto obviously is “if you talk Norfolk why not make the most of it enjoy it and be proud of it”.
Last night’s audience found that this is very much a Norfolk “Mother Goose” full of local colour, topical jokes, and rural humour.
In fact, the traditional slender pantomime story is simply a vehicle for the fun. However between the humour there is a wide selection of songs which reveal some fine singers and musicians in the cast plus, well-planned dances executed by the Joan Gisborne Dancers.
This fourth pantomime in the series which started at Loddon in 1976 is nothing if not a triumph for local team work. And the person who has probably done most to weld that team together is Derek Loyd, a hilarious Mother Goose and also the producer of the show.
With Maureen Larkin who extracts maximum comedy from the part of Mother Goose is daughter Jill, she also wrote the script, the show has the benefit of excellent stage management and scenery and an accomplished electric organ accompaniment by Beryl Carver.
This homespun but endearing production continues tonight and tomorrow (Saturday), and fully deserves to match last year’s achievement by the Players of distributing £560 to local charities.
Report – Beccles & Bungay Journal – Feb 1980
Panto pays out £630
A total of £630 pounds is being distributed among twelve local charity and community funds by Loddon Pantomime Players as a result of their successful production of “Mother Goose” last month.
Total profit from the pantomime was a record £702 but the players decided to hold £72 back to meet costs of next year’s production.
The players already knew that “Mother Goose” had been a popular pantomime with Loddon audiences, but the figures which revealed that it had also been a resounding financial success were announced when the 47 players, families and friends attended a panto party at Stubbs House Loddon.
Photographs of the production taken on stage and behind the scenes were circulated and letters of congratulation – received from people over a wide surrounding area – were read
The producer, Mr Derek Loyd announced with regret, the decision of Mr Charlie Spurgeon and his wife Dinah, and Mrs Geraldine Cowley to retire from the local pantomime stage. They had always given great performances and would be missed in future productions he said.
Mr Fred Hemming, chairman of the committee, who also paid tribute to the years of entertainment given in the Loddon district by Mr and Mrs Spurgeon and Mrs Cowley, presented them with decorative paperweights for which the players had subscribed.
The committee expressed thanks to all the people who had supported the show and all the helpers who gave competition prizes.
After announcing the funds which will benefit from this year’s profits, the committee is to consider a proposal that a suggestion box should be placed in the hall during each production so that members of the audience can offer their own ideas on which charities the players should support.
The players publicity officer Mrs Maureen Larkin explained this week that the choice of charities was difficult and, in considering it, the committee would welcome ideas from the public.
Donations from “Mother Goose” are going to the fund for research into multiple sclerosis, Beccles and District St Raphael Club for the disabled, Loddon and district committee for the physically handicapped, Loddon Silver Jubilee hall Fund, Loddon Playgroup, Loddon Youth and Community Centre, Loddon church, and the new duplicator fund for the church, Loddon Grasshoppers Football Club, Chedgrave Senior Citizens, the Davey place grouped homes for the elderly and Loddon Happy Circle.
