Hethersett Pantomime Founder (1926 – 2022)
The pantomime has an interesting beginning. On January 20th, 1966 almost 50 people with disabilities, from the Forehoe and Henstead District were guests at a party given by Mrs Hagg to celebrate her birthday.
Bingo and games were enjoyed and guests were entertained by “a most amusing pantomime” which subsequently sparked the idea of a regular village panto.
For much of its time the pantomime has been written and produced by Mrs Hagg’s son Duncan Pigg who takes up the story.
“The panto was supported by my mother. She was aware of a committee in the Forehoe and Henstead District Council which helped the disabled. January 17th was her birthday and she wanted to give them a party. We played party games and sung to them. They preferred to listen and watch rather than join in. We got a bit more ambitious and put on an ad lib panto where the cast did the words. One or two people said ‘why don’t you put on a performance for the public?”
And that’s what they did in 1970.
In 2021 the pantomime was cancelled for the first time in its history, due to the Covid pandemic, and unfortunately again in 2022. Panto will continue, panto will always survive and we were back in 2023 with a very successful show – Aladdin.
2024 will see the group continue to delight and astonish audiences from far and wide.
Every single Hethersett Panto ends with the song ‘Happy Days are here again’ but it is never sung until the final dress rehearsal!
The Hethersett Panto is well-known for its beautiful sets, created by painters Colin WIlson and Keith Drinkwater. For the 2013 production of Cinderella, an incredible pumpkin coach was created and we were approached by department store, Harvey Nichols in London asking if they could buy it once the show had ended.
It takes around nine months planning and work to put the show on. From writing the scripts, building the scenery, creating the costumes, designing the programs and posters, lights and sound, dances and music and more, so much goes into putting on each production.
