To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Chipping Norton Theatre is going for broke with a daring panto challenge. Katherine MacAlister talks to writer Ben Crocker about what's in store

Just when you thought it was safe to go out, Chipping Norton Theatre has pulled a fast one by introducing Summer Panto Chaos on July 5-6 – panto as you’ve never seen it before.

To help celebrate its 40th anniversary it seemed silly not to pay tribute to the genre that has been such a constant success for the Cotswold town, so the theatre is undertaking its most suicidal feat of daring ever – to write, rehearse and perform a 60-minute pantomime within a single 48-hour period!

Snow White, Aladdin, Puss in Boots, Dick Whittington – all the great festive tales – will unite in a daft and desperately chaotic one-off celebration of all things panto.

With writers Ben Crocker and Simon Brett, composers Peter Ponzen and Rowan Talbot, a cast of nine including some of Chipping Norton’s favourite panto faces, and a willing audience, whatever evolves is bound to be fun.

“Yes it will certainly have an energy of its own,” Ben Crocker laughs, having written the past five Chippy Christmas pantos.

“But I’m not planning it yet. It would be wrong to come up with too strong an idea in advance. So it will be a challenge, it will be an event and it will be fun.”

Will the actors have lines? “There will be a script of sorts, mainly pinned to the back of props I should think, but I expect a degree of ad-libbing will take place.

“No one can learn a whole show in 48 hours. It’s impossible.

“But I have a good strong memory of the pantos I’ve adapted – Dick Whittington, Beauty and The Beast, Ali Baba, Cinderella and Jack and The Beanstalk, so I might plagiarise myself.”

Having worked in or with the Chippy Theatre since the 90s, Ben is also delighted to help celebrate its 40th birthday: “I’ve worked there for over half of Chippy Theatre’s existence and with such a strong tradition of panto it seems right to bring it all together, because the audience knows it is participatory giving it a slight edge, and know they have a role to play.

So what are the essentials? “Tradition, surprises, a good roster of characters... but this one will certainly have its own dynamic,” Ben laughs again, happily preparing himself for the madness which is about to be unleashed.

SEE IT
Chippy’s Summer Panto Chaos runs on Saturday, July 5, at 4pm and 7pm and Sunday, July 6, at 2pm and 6pm.
Call 01608 642350 or see chippingnortontheatre.com