rawling throgh the vast number of photographs that were lent to me for the creation of the Sessay Drama Group pages has been a great deal of fun. Of particular interest are those from performances well before my involvement. Presented below and in the second page are some of those that I thought served as a good indication of the group's earlier efforts.

I have to be rather honest here and say that I did have access to earlier photographs, but decided not to include anything from them, therefore the dates covered are 1983 until 1993 with the oldest performances in the second page. Also, I have only put names to faces where I can recognise them or have evidence to hand (programs, names on photographs etc.)

The pictures to the left are from a revue in 1993.

Revues are useful things, in that they allow a large number of short acts (poems, songs and short sketches) by a large number of performers. I guess that this is the three ring circus idea expanded somewhat. There should always be something that the audience likes even if the current act is awful.

They also allow those persons who would not ordinarily be involved in drama an opportunity to perform for several minutes. Such an opportunity was taken up by Annie and Iris, pictured here, to join Judith on stage for 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love.'

Well, that was all seven years ago and I'm sure that it is well overdue for the group to have another. I ought to suggest it next time I see our chairman.

As mentioned before, pantomimes form the backbone of all recent performances and the next two blocks of pictures are from just that medium.

I can't provide a great deal of 'informed' commentary on any of these since the only video I've seen was the first, Tom the Piper's Son. Even then, I never made it past the interval.

The pictures on the right are from The aforementioned Tom and the classic pantomime tale Cinderella. I have been reliably informed that the pictured rap by Ian and Martin was rather good. Hey, who am I to argue when they were wearing such wonderful costumes.

Not shown in the pictures from Tom, is the 'monster'. It appears to have been someone wearing a dustbin covered with old sofa material, paper plates for eyes a one foot long pink tongue. Rather scary really. No, really!

Four year's worth of pantomimes are shown in the photographs to the right. The shows in question are Sinbad the Sailor, Jack and The Beanstalk, Robinson Crusoe and Aladdin.

Sinbad the Sailor seems to have a rather peculiar pantomime animal, not shown, looking like a cross between Ermintrude from The Magic Roundabout and a Hippopotamus. Between you and me, I think it's a camel. Whatever it is, it really does rank up there along with Doris the Dancin' Dragon from Aladdin '98.

Jack and the Beanstalk has a rather fond spot in my heart since without it, I probably would not have ever got involved in this crazy drama business. You can read all about that here. Not pictured here is the unnamed man playing a demon. Dressed in a red suited with vestigial horns, he looks like Keith from the Prodigy. I seem to remember being told that on his first entrance he reduced some of the children in the front rows to tears. Still, I suppose that's better than being spat at as I have been!

If you have already seen the support section where I give details of the unsung heroes, then you will have seen the description of our 'Producer For Life' Hilary and Judith, our prompt. I go on to say that both she and Judith have pasts within the vaults. Well, here is the proof. Judith is pictured in the Revue section above while Hilary stars as Robinson Crusoe from the pantomime of the same name. Those with eagle eyes might have noticed that she was Dandini in Cinderella above.
Thankfully, good taste and political correctness forbade me from including a picture of Wotta Woppa, although I am suitably ashamed to admit that I laughed when Hilary first told me the story of the black hand prints on the her principal boy's costume.

If I were to be totally honest, I could have included more picture of both the set and costumes from the production of Aladdin, since they were so good. The problem is that the majority, in the best amateur dramatics tradition, were recycled for the production in 1997. Not shown is David with gold painted face playing the Genie of the Lamp standing in front of an 'acquired' army camouflage net. I understand that we still have this piece of scenery.

Well, that wasn't so bad was it?

There is still one more vault collection to go into here if you dare. The pantomimes give way to 'normal' plays and the lavishly created and colourful costumes give way to dull greys and browns signifying serious theatre. There are a few highlights, all the same.

See you there!