GALLERY: ‘Sensational’ panto performance

A group of adults with learning difficulties from Worthing Scope performed Scrooge at Herons Dale Primary School, in Hawkins Crescent, giving the children the chance to interact with the performance.

Deputy head Isabel Robson said: “It was sensational. Our children were completely engaged by the performance and were delighted by all of the different characters.

“There was lots of audience participation and calling out in the true sense of a traditional panto and the pupils loved this.

“The use of video as part of the performance worked really well and added a different dynamic to the show.

“We absolutely love having Scope in to perform for us and the children get so much from each and every show that they do.”

Darren Claydon, day centre instructor, runs the Community Links Group at the Fitzalan Howard Centre, in Pavilion Road, Worthing.

“The drama club meets every Monday and we have six members, three of them in wheelchairs,” he explained.

“They are all disabled, some of the physically and some mentally, but they are all able to participate in drama.”

The club puts together two shows a year and this Christmas, there was a big performance of Scrooge at the centre for the many adults who use it.

Show are also taken out into the community and the group has done performances at Herons Dale Primary School before.

Mr Claydon said: “It was nice to take it out to younger age children and it went down well. Children always give you a better reaction, especially for panto.

“It went really well and the children were able to interact with the performance. There were flashbacks of Scrooge’s past shown on a screen, which worked well.”

The community links group was set up in 2009 to enable centre uses to meet different members of the community and explaining what goes on there, through short plays, music and sign language.

Mr Claydon said service users in the group had found the experience extremely rewarding and enjoyable.