Puss in Boots, Sinodun Players, Corn Exchange Theatre, Wallingford, Jan 15-31; Prisoner of Zenda, Live and Local Touring Scheme, Didcot Civic Hall, Nov 21; Eli Buckett and The Haybalers, Benson parish hall, Dec 5

9:00am Wednesday 19th November 2008

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Many difficult decisions have to be made when producing a pantomime — one of them whether the ‘funny men’ will throw flour, eggs, custard pies or water over each other in the slapstick scenes.

Wallingford’s Sinodun Players have solved that problem — they will do the lot!

The stage is set to get very messy in the Ogre’s kitchen scene, but everything will be in the safe hands of David Simmons and Fiona Prince.

And, as with all Wallingford pantomimes, there will be every opportunity for children to join the actors on stage.

Although the panto will not be staged until January, the box office opens on Friday and the tickets are usually sold out very quickly.

Puss in Boots will be staged nightly, except for Sundays and Mondays, at the Players’ Corn Exchange Theatre in Market Place between January 15 and 31, with matinées on Saturday afternoons.

lThe Live and Local Touring Scheme is putting on a version of the Prisoner of Zenda in Didcot Civic Hall this Friday.

The town council is backing it with up to £800 to cover the maximum cost of the show.

Didcot Arts Forum, a non-profit making organisation, is keen on bringing a range of entertainments to the Civic Hall.

On December 12, it will stage pop group The Ivy League, a revival of the group, though without any original members, which recorded such sixties hits as Tossing and Turning and Funny How Love Can Be.

They will be supported by comedian Rich Sheehan and the evening will finish with dancing to local band Deuce. Tickets are £15 a head from the town’s One Stop Shop.

l West Country comedian Eli Buckett and his band The Haybalers will take to the stage at Benson parish hall with comedy songs and hilarious stories about village life in a good old-fashioned romp.

Eli, who is actually Goring resident Rod Scriven, promised no swearing, but said the show would not be suitable for children “because as you would expect from the West Country, the show is about the farmyard and village life”. The £9.50 tickets are available from the village newsagents and the show will be staged on December 5.