Copy of Independent Review of "Little Miss Muffet" from "The Community Magazine" 5th Feb., 2004

You would think it would be hard to create a link between little Miss Muffet and football, but hey, this is panto when innovative writing can bring together disparate subjects.
Dave T. Evans, a member of Ferndown Phoenix Musical Society, weaved a tangled web of mirth and merriment around a failing football team and the nursery rhyme in which a spider wreaked havoc for a girl with a bowl of curds and whey.
Little Miss Muffet, which was staged at the Barrington Theatre, Ferndown last week, had the genre of characters we have come to expect from panto, plus a few surprises.
Mike Hutchings cut a colourful figure as Dame Muffet, with Steve Butterworth and Andy Walker as Nick and Nack, providing lots of laughs as hapless local lads, who had made an art form out of stupidity,
Often the principal boy and girl are the weakest characters, but this wasn't the case with this panto. Madeleine Horne, who played Matt, a waiter, has not only a good stage presence, but also an excellent voice. Similarly, 17 year old Gina Birch in the title role, is a young singer and actress to watch out for in the future.
Sam Richardson in the guise of the spider, Janet Barrow, the wolf and Linda Robbins, the chicken, all deserve a mention for their excellent portrayals.
The society was well rehearsed, and it was clear that a huge amount of effort had been put into the production, which provided a good evening's entertainment. MA (Marilyn Ayres)

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