YOU’RE being offered the chance to swap our dark, dank days for the sunny climes of a desert island — all with the help of a little imagination, of course.

That’s what Sinodun Players will be aiming to do for you when they take to the stage of Wallingford’s Corn Exchange with their latest pantomime offering Robinson Crusoe and The Pirates.

And, with rehearsals having started back in October, the amateur thespians will be hoping to have honed their performance to perfection with all the gags, songs and dancing you can handle in one sitting.

Leading the line for them as adventurous sailor Robinson Crusoe will be Sarah Stephenson, backed up by David Simmons as panto dame Margarita Juicilita and Fiona Prince as her nice, but dim, son Nutty Nick.

Everyone will be watching out for the deeds of dastardly pirate Cut-Throat, played by John Cornelius, but much less so for those of his less-than-dastardly sidekicks, Skull-Duggery and Cross-Bones (Rebecca Cleverley and Monica Beacroft).

But don’t worry too much because on the side of good is the kindly Captain Seasalt (Philip Goddard) and his beautiful daughter Juanita (Lydia Jones) and, of course, Robinson’s faithful friend Friday (Joel Webster).

Along the way be prepared to encounter an rather extraordinary parrot, Poll, a role shared by Marilyn Johnstone and Rose Sutton, and even some cannibals.

Local folk singer Pete Orton will be injecting some humour as Hocus Pocus, while Graham Watt, as Davy Jones, and Ginny Avery, as Coral, Spirit of The Seas, vie for the lives of those upon the sea, and Sarah Enticknap plays Mumbo Jumbo.

With the show being directed by Gloria Wright, assisted by Julie Utley, local choirmaster Sue Ledger will be providing the musical direction, the principal choreography and chorus is by Marilyn Johnstone, and the colourful costumes the work of Jan Castle. The show’s producer is Caroline Wilkes.

Young people from The Angels Stage School at Didcot make up the dancing troupe for this show.

The Players are putting on 15 performances from Friday, January 17, to Saturday, February 1, at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinee shows on the Saturdays as well. There are no Sunday or Monday shows. Tickets are £12 and £10 for adults and £6 for under-16s. Contact 01491 825000 or visit: www.cornexchange.org.uk/MRWindex.html