A ‘sparkling production - well done Duns!’

Maddie Kitchen (Fairy Sweety) & Fi Beal (Fairy Fairy) in the deep dark woods.

Duns & District Amateur Opera Society (DDAOS) is a thing of wonder. Every year, twice a year, they come together months in advance to prepare for a pantomime in Winter, a musical in Spring, and they work tremendously hard with vast casts needing guidance in acting, movement and music, with scenery needing to be designed and created, with costumes which have to be spectacular, with sound and light which must be perfect, with parents to be soothed and cajoled and everything to be just right for opening night.

And, every time, they pull it off. DDAOS is a force for good and everybody involved, from the President to the stars to the chorus to the backstage team to the ladies on the door to the organiser of the raffle, deserves the heartiest congratulations and thanks from the community and the universe for bringing nothing but joy into the world.

This year’s pantomime, The Sword in the Stone, newly written by the show’s co-director (with Hannah Renton) Kevin Purves, was entirely delightful, ingenious, hilarious and enchanting. The story was familiar in a bonkers sort of way, with a spot-on feminist twist, and the characters adorable, even the villains. Superbly marshalled by the directors and choreographer, Lynn Jackson Joyce, the cast had no weaknesses with DC as Dame Gristle Larkin and Carol Robson as Moaraga in the centre holding it all together. You expected excellence from those two, and from Fiona Drewery as the Prime Minister and Alex Wilson as the gloriously leaf-covered Big Arth, and you got it.

Meanwhile, younger members of the cast were visibly blossoming before the eyes of enraptured audiences.

Fi Beal (Fairy Fairy) & Maddie Kitchen (Fairy Sweety).

Logan Robertson (Mank) was completely convincing as the long-limbed, big-booted and soft-hearted henchman of the evil scheming Moaraga, while Jamie Mein gave an extraordinary, bobbing performance as King Olaff Nolaff who was like a playing card come to life. Watch out for Logan and Jamie – one gets the impression that there is lots more to come!

The fairies (Fi Beal as Fairy Fairy and Maddie Kitchen as Fairy Sweety) were charmingly downbeat and very funny as was Ravey, the “black parrot” brought to life by an all but invisible Lynn Gray. In the smaller parts, Mhairi Reid, Lily-Rose Joyce and Joe Davies brought solid pzazz while the three young leads – Alexa Mackenzie as Kay, Ailsa Renton as Arthur and Isla Gourlay as Princess Arthura – all inhabited their roles excellently well and brought great energy, charm and skill to the stage and neither the Senior nor the Junior Chorus could possibly have been improved.

With several faces familiar from last year’s production of Aladdin, there seems to be developing in Duns a panto troupe of considerable weight and talent. Special mention should also be made of the wonderful scenery, woodland painted by someone who really knew their trees.

With nearly-full houses and bags of enthusiasm for all four performances, Duns clearly looks forward to and loves the DDAOS panto, and quite rightly. This is a brilliant community event which reflects a lovely light not only on those responsible for a sparkling production but on the community itself. Congratulations, DDAOS! Well done, Duns!