Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves - St Michael’s Church Hall, Burtonwood

7:00am Thursday 22nd February 2007

BURTONWOOD Amateur Music and Drama Society is apparently well known for the quality of its farces.

But if all their pantomimes are as much fun as this, that reputation may be enhanced.

Ali Baba (Colin Frodsham) is a poor barber, who goes in search of treasure while his evil brother Kasim, played by the wicked Derek Orr, attempts to steal the riches.

Masquerading as the cutthroat thief El Scorpio, Kasim enlists blundering thieves Bubble and Squeak to help him hoodwink Ali, his son Rhum and Peter McConnell's show-stealing dame Fatima Kebab - a woman who dresses to kill and cooks the same way'!

Fortunately, Ali has help in the form of belly dancers Vanilla and Delight, archaeologist Professor Jones and his daughter Polly and the spirit of the cave, a cackling fortune-teller portrayed with some skill by Charlotte Rainford.

Providing a showcase for the variety of talent in the village, this interpretation had everything you could want from a good panto - a host of engaging characters, rapid-fire jokes, dance routines, songs old and new (including a hilarious rendition of Rn'B star Nelly's Dilemma) and even a magic trick or two, with some surprisingly dazzling special effects!

However, the most enduring aspect of the performance was the time, effort and love that had obviously gone into making it such a success.

From the colourful costumes and hand-painted sets to the superb programme, this was a credit to all involved.