Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!
Last week it was our local theatre group panto production, Sing a Song of Sixpence. My daughter was in it for the third consecutive year. Three months’ rehearsals for 4 evening shows, a long commitment for 9-10 years old girls (and a couple of boys too!) who also have to go to school and follow their many other commitments. But the result is always worth it. Although it’s an amateurs group it has been going on for 40 years and their productions always look very professional.
The girls learn to be part of an ensemble, work together and with discipline, they learn music and rhymes and lines and, in spite of all the hard work, they have fun. We don’t have this panto tradition in Italy so I find it even more interesting and fun. My daughter played a villager, a blackbird, a ghost, a big hare and a small witch. She got over her stage fright easily and wasn’t even too upset when I kept on standing up to take photos!
Sing a Song of Sixpence (script by Norman Robbins) is a pantomime on conventional lines with a dame, wicked witch, good fairy, haunted bedroom, and knockabout scenes, contemporary songs to choice, references to local names, etc., but based on the less usual story of the four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. When the King's magic crown is stolen his kingdom is reduced to destitution, and it looks as if evil has conquered good, but the handsome Prince Valentine is finally triumphant.
Thanks to Jean, Alan, Richard, Simon and all the Players!
