VILLAGERS in Drimpton say they owe their strong sense of community to pantomime – and they’ve a manual to prove it.

Andrew Pastor of Village Voices has just written a new community book - PANTO: The MANUAL, which charts the rise of the pantomime in the village.

He said: “. Our story is all about the power of panto to bring people together, and how, through shared fun and the sharing of skills and enthusiasm, they can make a vibrant community.

“Pantomime is a great way to get together.”

Since 1993 the small West Dorset village of Drimpton has staged 10 pantomimes, all community made. Written locally, they have featured 151 performers of all ages, 91 makers of sets, costumes, props and helpers back stage and front of house, and have been attended by more than 2,700, audience members.

All have been managed by Village Voices – the village-based self-help voluntary group that was founded 16 years ago by Mr Pastor as a direct and positive response to a plan for a new housing development in the village, which became 50 per cent larger as a result.

Rather than adopting the conventional ‘us and them’ oppositional stance to such a development, Village Voices set out to invite

local people to engage in a series of arts and community projects.

Mr Pastor added: “Panto is one of those rare things – an entertainment that doesn’t need to be explained. It’s just fun, silly, anarchic, romantic fun, where the Baddies always lose. And, in a community, panto offers a meeting place for people of all ages to come together in a common cause .

“Panto offers a middle ground, a neutral territory.”

“Breaking such barriers is priceless. People expand their circle of friends. People become more confident and develop self-belief and people have fun.”

Beryl Banks from the Methodist Chapel said: “Pantomimes are the best therapy for any village.”

A local doctor said: “The process of working with, and relying on, other people of varying ages is of great value to the mental wellbeing of all, and perhaps especially helps those who might be relatively isolated.”

Mr Pastor is offering the panto manual as a tool for other communities.

For further information on PANTO: The MANUAL go to pantothemanual.blogspot.co.uk or on the drimpton.org.uk website.

Anyone with questions or who would like to contact the book’s author, Andrew Pastor, please email: andrew.villagevoices@btinternet.com