Honiton Community Theatre panto is 40th anniversary show

The upcoming show, Robin Hood, has a new and original script by professional award-winning writer/director Alex Jackson, who comes from Exeter but now lives in London. He has created a story set in Honiton featuring plenty of local references, classic comedy set-ups with modern-day twists, and lively music and choreography; read more here.

Robin Hood opens at the Beehive on Tuesday, February 13 and runs until Saturday 17, starting at 7pm each evening, with a 2pm matinee on the Saturday. The performance on Thursday evening will have a British sign language (BSL) interpreter.

it comes as the Honiton Community Theatre Company looks back on its 40 years on the stage. The company started out in 1984 as the Honiton Pantomime Society and was founded by some locally well-known people including the late Pat Allen, his wife Jenny, Pete, George and Ann Blake and ‘Auntie’ Jean Bell. The first pantomime performed, in January 1985, was Cinderella, and the cast included a real miniature pony called Lady to pull the magic coach. It was staged at Honiton Community College, which was used by the group for many years before The Beehive opened in 2014.

The company’s Community Trustee Karen Wilson said: “The casts were much smaller back then - which was just as well, as we had to squeeze into two science labs which became our changing rooms for the week!”

The opening of The Beehive, with its additional facilities, enabled the group to expand its casts. In 2016 they joined forces with the Honiton Players and and changed their name to Honiton Community Theatre Company, reflecting the fact that they were now performing plays and musicals as well as the annual pantomime.

Karen said: “The company continues to be a local community group to be proud of. This is due to the hard work and commitment of members both old and new, whether they were on or off stage. We are especially proud of the reputation we have built up for inclusiveness and our youth section which grows year on year and, over the years, has been partly responsible for many young people who have gone on to make performing arts their career.

"Here's to another 40 years of bringing live theatre and music to the local community of Honiton."