A DRAMA group is preparing for its first pantomime for more than 25 years.

Dorchester Amateur Dramatic Society will stage Camelot the Pantomime, from November 18-21.

It will be bringing the legend of Arthur and Merlin to Dorchester Village Hall and the team behind the production says it is determined to achieve a number of goals.

It wants to offer all the fun and participation of a traditional pantomime and use technology to make the venue rival a magical location for medieval fun and games.

The challenge of how to fit two castles, Merlin’s Laboratory, the wild wood and that Shrieking Bog – to name just a few of the locations – into a Victorian village hall rests with Berinsfield-based hi-tech projection company CVP (Oxford) Ltd.

It will help to solve the puzzle to make the Camelot the castle come into Dorchester, for its corridors to shine out and how to create a mad hotel.

Camelot’s director, Keith Russell, said all those involved in the Dorchester production laughed the first time they read the script – written by Ben Crocker – and are still laughing.

He is particularly keen to encourage audience participation in the show, particularly as it may be the first time that many of the youngsters watching will have experienced a panto and its special interaction between cast and theatre-goers.

Like in any good panto, the audience is promised plenty of opportunities to cheer, hiss and boo, plus goodies and baddies – Merlin and Morgan le Fay, kings and princesses, Uther and Guinevere, magic potions and even a bear.

Camelot the Pantomime will be staged at Dorchester Village Hall in Queen Street from November 18-21.

For tickets, visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/dads

For more information about Dorchester Amateur Dramatic Society, see dads.org.uk