every FEBRUARY, the Stoke Climsland Amateur Theatrical Society put on a panto to dispell the winter gloom. And they have certainly excelled themselves with their latest production, Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

The script was penned by the company and was original and very funny. The cast did full justice to it. This tale of Robin (Neva L’Arbalestier) and his outlaws had a local flavour, with all the action - and many of the jokes - revolving around a real place not a million miles from Stoke Climsland called Sheba’s Bottom.

The wicked witch role was supplied by the sheriff’s mother, Drogana, played with brilliant nastiness by Lyn Crawley, who rules the roost at Callington Castle over her poor put-upon son the Lord High Sherriff of Callington (Jarvis L’Arbalestier). The sheriff’s henchmen Higory, Diggory and Doc (Heather Steward, Alfie Cox and Matthew Cox) find themselves robbed of then rent money in Sheba’s Bottom by Robin’s clever outlaws, who include, they report back to the sheriff ‘a posh sheep’. Top marks to all of them, with a particular mention to Charlie Long as Little Johnny Greenscombe, who manages to convince Robin that he is big and strong enough to join his gang. With music, jokes and a happy ending, not to mention a stroppy Red Riding Hood (Aggie Couldrick) who had wandered into the wrong panto, this production - staged at Stoke Climsland Parish Hall - had it all. See scatsociety.org,uk, a few tickets remain for tomorrow, Saturday’s, matinee.

SARAH PITT