St Michael's Players Raise Double Their Target

Online pantomime version of Christmas Carol gains rave reviews

St. Michael's Players performing a Christmas Carol

Through this Covid thing, there’s been many inspiring stories and this one is right on our doorstep. Local drama group, St Michael’s Players, along with most theatres has had a pretty bleak year as covid shielding restrictions meant no rehearsing and no audiences as we know it and our theatre at St Michael’s Centre, Elmwood Road, fell silent.

With Christmas approaching, St Michael’s Players decided enough was enough and that come hell or high water, its annual, world-famous, sell-out pantomime could not fall victim to the global doom and gloom. Our audience deserved it and our members wanted it and so a plan was born.

Having read some plays during the year over Zoom, it was a small step to realise we could stream a zoom meeting as a “live” performance there was fun to be had with the format. It was decided to perform “live” as this would be more like a live performance and create some real jeopardy: would actors forget to un-mute? would the internet hold up? Would small children burst in?

An online search located a pantomime version of Christmas Carol, written by Alistair Clinton, which was then suitably Chiswick-ified and adapted for online production with local references, topical gags and oodles of panto-goodness. Oddly enough, many people seemed to have a lot of spare evenings and the casting and rehearsing were soon well under way from the lofts, sheds and kitchens of Chiswickia. The highest hurdles were actually caused by the technical limits of Zoom (positioning the actors) and the limitation of individual computer specs and domestic broadband performances, especially when using virtual backgrounds.

Now we had a show, the next question surrounded tickets. How to sell them and grant access? With no obvious easy solution to hand and realising online production costs were going to be very low, the Players opted for a free show and simply asked for donations. These would go to St Michael's PCC, the owners of our little theatre on Elmwood Road, and would make up for the loss of rental income which they’d incurred through this pandemic. Our justgiving page was launched in late November with a modest £1000 target. Three days before show-time, this was reached, and a more ambitious £2000 target was set.

Show day, 18 December arrived, and the cast and production team assembled in our Zoom room with emotions all a jingle being nervous, apprehensive and excited all at the same time. Final checks and we watched the “waiting” viewer count with trepidation as the numbers rose, 20…50…100 which ratcheted up the excitement and nerves until it was “break a leg” time; the opening credits rolled into the opening number and we were underway. No stopping now. The performance unfolded, mostly as intended to a worldwide audience of over 200. Friends whatsapped their feedback, facebook chats sprang up and the donations just started rolling in. By the end of the evening we were £50 or so short of the target – wow.

The reviews rolled in and a few more donations appeared and the total sits at £2150 at time of writing. The show has now been viewed over 1000 times and we’re so pleased so many people in so many countries are enjoying this little bit of Chiswickian Christmas magic.

Rev Martine Oborne of St Michael’s, Elmwood Road, wrote,"We watched your fabulous panto last night. Thank you so much. It was great fun. Edie said it must have been particularly fun for Scrooge's wife/daughter or whoever it was assigned with the task of throwing custard pies in his face!! (Ed…spoiler alert). It was hugely appreciated and raised spirits that really needed lifting! And thank you so much for raising funds for the Church. We have had a challenging year financially but, on the plus side, we've never felt more loved and connected with our community - which is wonderful" How nice was that?"

I was amazed to see how many reviews commented “Christmas could now begin”, or “how nice to have some simple fun again” and I saw the big effect that many small actions have and how they all come together to make a community and a sense of belonging. At the start we wanted nothing more than to produce a panto and have some fun and yet now, thanks to the views, reviews and donations we realise how many connections we made. Yes, truly, Christmas has begun” and the world is as all right again

Be part of it (donations here).

Some of the 100s of reviews:

• "Really missed the live Panto this year but what an alternative last night! Brilliant! Thank you so much for all this effort and how fab we could watch in the comfort of our homes . Happy Xmas All" Monica K
• "Thank you for the panto. It was brilliant!" Pauline O
• "Superb performance thank you been the best bit of Xmas so far!!" Janet M
• "Great fun - well done ..Now to celebrate Christmas." Simon H
• "How fabulous was that - such a great idea......really clever" Michelle H
• "That was great...very clever and funny" Lesley A R
• "Thanks for the fun panto, please pass on my congratulations to all concerned. It was really worth the effort! A special thanks to whoever managed the technical magic. I am in awe!" Kay S
• "We found it extremely enterprising, entertaining and thoroughly novel. How you all did it we will never know." IK & EK

Christmas Carol archive webpage.