Austwick Community Players

Pandemonium in Paradise

EVERY year the Austwick Community Players scale the heights of theatrical excellence but their latest production, Pandemonium in Paradise, was brilliant even by their high standards. From first to last the audience was in stitches.

This year’s tale saw simple Austwick folk heading for the tropical island of Lawklandia in search of truth and Lord Lawkland’s buried treasure.

Under the watchful eye of careful luggage handler Maggie (Melanie Greenhalgh), nurse Nancy (Catherine Nicholls), cook Brunhilda (Christine Hooley), builder Wally (Gordon Pimperton) and farmer Danny (Andrew Booth) pack up their belongings and head for Paradise.

There they stumble on a marooned Hen Party: Amy (Beth Lowe), Jess (Julie Greenwood) and Amy's inebriated mother Dee (Barbara Harrison) and her friend Karen (Veronica Caperon).

This motley crew’s hilarious search for the treasure, frustrated at every turn by Lord Lawkland’s evil servants Frank (Tony Stephens) and Sally (Elizabeth Booth), is pure delight.

It’s a laugh-a-minute journey with giant spiders, snakes, frogs and tortoises and some of the best choreography you’ll see this side of Wharfe.

Stand-out moments were the umbrella routine, the wetsuit and flippers dance, and the Irish jig finale (a rival to anything in Riverdance).

But special mention must go to Danny’s rendition of ‘My Farming Things’, beautifully delivered in a Dales farmer kind of way.

Les Chandler