I have not had much time to start writing a pantomime but I have started plotting it.

I’m still going with The Emperor’s New Clothes even though it may take a little longer to find a lead actor. This would be easier for a professional company but I’m not sure if I can think of any men in our company, willing to spend a good part of a performance night in lary boxers.

We do advertise the auditions, so it may bring some more talent into the company.

I may write it and find that the group don’t vote to put it on this year. We are very democratic and have a pitching night where anyone in the company can come to pitch plays for the group to vote on. However I’m sure we’ll put it on within the next couple of years.

Anyway, the basic plot is the good hearted Emperor with a major fault, vanity. He has an evil brother who wants to discredit him and become Emperor in his place. He hatches a plot with two rogues who pose as weavers and weave the magical and invisible cloth. They put the two current weavers/seamstresses ‘widow’ and ‘woe’s’ noses out of joint by taking their place in weaving the latest suit for the latest parade. The emperor is widowed but has a daughter, and she is the only one who admits that she cannot see the cloth. A visiting artist, due to paint the emperor in all his glory is her love interest, but they fall out because he pretends (like all the rest) that he can see it. The ending will be that the Emperor looks a fool on the parade, but the people love him and so forgive him, something his evil brother did not count on. The evil brother is banished - with his love interest and the emperor also finds love and happiness as does his daughter. There will be a fair bit of comedy including a character called ‘Special FX’ as its only a small theatre with a tiny budget so we’ll have to be quite creative with or special effects.

Watch this space for more as I firm up the plot and post excerpts from the panto…if I get it done that is!!