A VILLAGE amateur dramatics society is celebrating what will soon be its 70th consecutive pantomime – and plans to mark the occasion by staging six pantos in one.

Hutton Rudby Dramatic Society was formed in the 1920s in the small village near Great Ayton. During its heyday it attracted coach-loads of fans from the North-East and even received a glowing review in the Daily Express in the 1930s. Even the Second World War didn’t discourage local actors from maintaining a Christmas show for residents.

The village hall - originally built to the requirements of the dramatics society in 1927 - also has North-East actress Wendy Craig as its patron. She took up the role when the hall was refurbished in 2004.

The group’s next production, in January, will be its 70th consecutive Christmas show. To celebrate the milestone, “Adventure in Pantoland” will involve six pantomimes in one. The production will be the group’s most ambitious yet – with more parts, costumes and sets than ever before.

One of the show’s three producers, John Autherson, said with seven decades of shows behind them they luckily had a large wardrobe of costumes to use.

He said: “We have costumes going back many years – we’re not keeping them for history, we’re keeping them for use. We need them in this show because we’re doing six pantos in one. There are 19 cast parts in this panto, there are about 20 choral numbers, an adult chorus, a children’s chorus and 14 separate scenes.”

Mr Autherson has been with the group for 30 years and one of his co-producers, Jill Turner has been involved in 40 pantomimes. When they began with the group, block-bookings would still be taken for coach parties and other large groups.

He said: “There weren’t many pantos around when Hutton Rudby Dramatic Society started doing them, and it also had a very good reputation and so every year it would attract coach parties from across the North-East.”

The dramatic society will stage seven performances of Adventure in Pantoland on January 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th and 16 at Hutton Rudby Village Hall. There will also be a special production for audience members with disabilities.

Tickets are £7 on the door or £6 pre-booked, which are available from Wendy Young from December on 01642-700928. Tickets are also available from the village community hub in Hutton Rudby Methodist Church.