Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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January 2006 - Gazette Article As the pantomime season ends in Ealing North it seems to have started up again at Westminster. I often expect the Chancellor of the Exchequer to start throwing sweets at the back-benches and we have no shortage of pantomime dames and even some colleagues who would give a panto horse a good run for its money in the intelligence stakes. I suppose that if Labour were a character we would be Baron Hardup while the innocent young Tory leader would be Dick Whittington (turn again – and again – Cameron) while there would be no competition for the part of his faithful cat. George Galloway may have achieved little else in the Big Brother House but he has a role in pantomime for life now. The Liberals, of course, are perfect for the part of Wishee Washee although they seem more suited to a spaghetti western that innocent Christmas fun at the moment. This season I’ve gone into raptures at the Hanwell and Ealing Operatic Society production of “Beauty and the Beast” (no Parliamentary linkages here, please!) which brought the Greenford Hall to its feet with a stunning performance that deserved an even larger audience than were privileged to be present in January. The low point of the season was, as usual, the Holy Cross Players disgraceful treatment of their local Member of Parliament during their production of Cinderella. Written by Dr.Who fanatic and pantomime dame Tony Jordan and directed with an iron hand by Nicky Jordan this was one not to miss – unless you are the local MP. Andy Beavan was utterly over the top as usual in the part of an ugly sister while Chris Ward delighted as the fairy godmother that every man dreams of. Ray Allen played Count Lollo Rosso with elegance, élan and a stream of lettuce related jokes while Sarra Taylor-Brown somehow convinced the audience that she was old enough to be stepmother to the wondrous Emily Marsh and to defy all the facts of biology and be mother to Tamazepam and Prozac – Cinderella’s pulchritudinously challenged step-sisters.Lynsey Nicholls was marvellous as Prince Charming while Bob Hammond, as the village baker, did extraordinary things with his buns. Malcolm Ede hammed it up and Yvonne Walton somehow managed to convince that she was no stranger to a small sweet sherry while swigging from a hip-flask at regular intervals. Somehow we got into a pastiche of Strictly Come Dancing with thespian genius Tom Smart as Bruce Forsooth and the gorgeous Clare Pocock as Tess Weekly. Ian Muxlow was brilliant as Bruno Tagliatelli while I was type cast as Head Judge Led Badman. For no apparent reason this role required the actor to receive a stonking great custard pie in the face and I meekly acquiesced as I quite accept that few things give more pleasure than seeing an MP get pied. Money was raised for Cancer Research UK and the Holy Cross Access Project and I would have donated more if the dry-cleaning bills for my dress suit had not been so high. Still, that’s all over now and it’s back to the Westminster Palace of Varieties; with which no pantomime comparisons can be made. |
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| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed by Bassam Mahfouz. Promoted by Julian Bell, The Labour Party, Ruskin Hall, 16 Church Road, W3 8PP on behalf of Steve Pound MP |
