THE PANTOMIME -- I normally take the words 'amateur dramatics' as a sort of health warning, with side effects which could include flushing and embarrassment, hyperbole, even tinnitus where the sufferer feels that despite evidence to the contrary time is passing with excruciating slowness. But if there was the slightest frisson of anxiety as the curtain opened on 'Beauty and the Beast', it was soon dispelled. The pantomime, scripted by Andrea Jackson and Meg Hughes, had a cast of more than 40, well-marshalled by producer Mark Errington; they clearly enjoyed themselves, and if ever there was the hint of a pause Trish Edden, the prompt, took up the slack. With an inventive script, strong cast and a full house each night, not a lot could go wrong, nor did it; the odd non-appearance of a tree, or stalled line simply gave an enthusiastically grasped opportunity for ad-libbing. The old-guard of Rob Edden, David Pugh, the two Johns Stenning and Townsend, Roy Preece and Sarah Wood, are none of them exactly shrinking violets, never short of a word, and kept the pace zinging along; Clemmie Wood made the most of a typical new-ager, and the scriptwriters wrote themselves in as a particularly fine horse. They had also changed the usual camp dame into someone altogether more sympathetic, a part, Jemima Jollity, which Roy filled to perfection ..less battle-axe more favourite granny. Lynne Pugh was the epitome of the bureaucrat that everyone loves to hate, while Sarah Wood played the evil witch Zenophobia with practised relish. It was marvellous to see Kath Townsend back on stage, as a super-active and vocal rooster, almost typecast perhaps, and it was good, too, to see Michael Cluett, though next time he clearly should have a few more lines. Beauty and the Beast were an elegant Harry Ray and Jemima Klenk, who looked and sounded every inch the part. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and time flew, the greatest measure of its success. So who will pick up the Oscar? For once no meditation is required. Amongst the exceptional cast one skulking about in the background stole the show; a real cameo; not just the delivery of lines, but the body language too made it a real actor's performance. So step forward Septimus Skulk, aka Marcus Williams for it is he. And after all the plaudits to the front stagers the 20 or so behind the scenes should take a well earned bow; without all their efforts the rest simply would not happen.