Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society panto The Lino King was a roaring success
The Society’s annual pantomime was staged at the Strand Theatre in Carrick-on-Suir last week
Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's Halloween pantomime – The Lino King- was a delightful mix of fantasy, comedy, song and dance that transported audiences and even Slievenamon mountain to the African Savannah.
The show, loosely based on Disney's The Lion King, finished its five -day run at the Strand Theatre last Saturday.
The imaginative script, written by the show's director and production manager Sandra and Conor Power, centred on Mufasa, the Lino King, played by Audie Murphy, running a flooring business in the Suir Jungle with the evil Scar played by Neill Bourke determined to ruin him and his son Simba and seize power. A lovely topical touch was the narrator – the Spirit of Slievenamon – played by Aoibhe Vahey.
Famous songs from The Lion King were skillfully mixed with pop, country and musical theatre hits ranging from The Lion Sleeps Tonight to Lionel Ritchie's 80s hit All Night Long.
Clodagh Carroll as Keara sang Waiting on a Wish beautifully. Liadhain O'Shea's performance of Shadowland and Neill Bourke's rendition of You'll Be Back were other solo singing highlights.
The Carrick MS pantomime is a great chance for young members of the Society's Academy of Performing Arts to perform on stage. Once again, their song and dance scenes were a most enjoyable part of the show.
The Lino King was chock-full of jokes, puns and slapstick comedy. Bobby Landers and Caolan Deehy-Power were hilarious in their respective roles as the exotic bird Zazu and panto dame Mrs Lions.
The scene where Mrs Lions is repeatedly knocked off a wall as Mufasa sings Can You Feel the Love Tonight had the audience roaring with laughter. Caolan's late father Fergus, who played the dame in Carrick MS pantos for many years, would be justly proud to see his son so ably fill his shoes.