TISBURY Arts Group moved back from Nadder Hall to the more intimate surroundings of the Victoria Hall in the town centre for this year’s pantomime, Peter Pan, and the Saturday matinee packed every seat in the house, balcony included.

This home-written version of the famous story (by an uncredited author) has Nana as a human rather than a dog, and of course it’s the ideal role for a pantomime dame, here in the larger-than-life person of Jon Amos.

With a small stage full of lost boys, Indians and pirates, there is lots of use of the platform into the auditorium, and you could spot the occasional pirate or brave among the audience, too, just to make sure the participation didn’t flag.

There was even a fancy dress contest for the best pirate/Pan/Darling or lost boy – a difficult job for Captain Hook to judge.

As a regular at TAG pantomimes, I know to look out for the Chapmans, Bertenshaws and Peronis, and they didn’t disappoint. Then there are Sallianne Crosbie and Sallyann Morris, always a double force to be reckoned with and here playing the beautifully spoken Capt Hook and his broadly rural Smee, eventual boyfriend of the bibulous Nanny (making full use of the hilarious difference in height.)

Charlie Greenwood is an excellent Peter Pan, with Eva Sjolund-Hosking as the jealous Tinkerbelle and Rosie Bacon as Wendy. Christopher Mundy also made the most of his role as Michael Darling.

Diminutive Shauna Camp-Sorensen was an impressive Tiger Lily, leading her brave band with dance and song.

Happily, the (maybe too many) innuendos, mainly from Nanny, passed the children by, and you had to worry just a little about anyone in the audience who has a family member with a drink problem, but perhaps that’s being a bit PC.

It was all terrific fun, energetically performed by a talented company, and it involved everyone in the audience, whatever their ages.

Well done TAG!

GP-W