Great Bowden Panto Crowned Best In East Midlands!

Members of the Great Bowden Pantomime are celebrating after winning a top award.

They have beaten off competition from 15 other amateur dramatic groups from across the East Midlands to pick up the ‘Blue Balloon Pantomime of the Year’ title, following their production of Return To Treasure Island in February.

Front, Lisa and Mark Hilton celebrate with The Blue Balloon Pantomime of the Year 2020 trophy with cast and crew members socially distanced on The Green in Great Bowden.
PIC: ANDY CARPENTER

Lisa Hilton, the director, producer and co-writer, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic to have won. We are very lucky here in Great Bowden to be blessed with a plethora of talent, fantastic passionate people who have tread the boards over the years and we are so proud of them.

“We are also so grateful to local builders, scaffolders and other local workers who really get behind us during this massive effort – it’s very humbling.”

“We performed the panto during half-term last February at Great Bowden Academy – so we managed to beat the first Covid-19 lockdown by just weeks!”

The former professional panto player added: “

There were also seven other awards for members of the 50-strong cast and crew, including best young female performer and Best Cameo role.

Great Bowden panto plan to stage their next performance next Christmas.

The Market Harborough Youth Theatre also picked up a host of awards in the Pantomime Alliance Of Leicestershire competition, for its performance of Aladdin earlier this year, including best singing, best dancing and best comedy act.

The group came third overall.

Great Bowden Panto ‘Return to Treasure Island’