PANTO lovers in Chard had their night “ruined” after members of a rival group showed up to “sabotage” a performance of Aladdin.

The players of Chard Amateur Theatre Society (CATS) put on a fine performance of the Disney favourite in the Guildhall at the end of last month.

But according to audience members, some pantomime villains attended on the final night and proceeded to jeer and heckle performers to the point where children were upset and the cast were left “fuming”.

In a letter to The News, an audience member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “The pantomime itself was fantastic – one of the best they have put on.

“However, the evening was ruined by the actions of a large group of Tatworth Amateur Pantomime Society (TAPS) members who came wearing their TAPS shirts.

“They shouted and heckled all the way through the pantomime so loudly that many of the audience could not hear.

Now, there is crowd participation, which every pantomime should strive to encourage, but this was clearly interference and sabotage.

“A number of the CATS cast were singled out for special treatment and the hecklers became louder and louder until these cast members became visibly nervous and began to make mistakes.

“At this point the feeling of victory from the hecklers was palpable as they jeered and laughed out loud, and a number of children in the cast left the stage terrified after performing.”

Another correspondent, a Mrs Rogers from Chard, also wrote in to congratulate the CATS cast for their professionalism.

She wrote: “The singing was beautiful and the acting was superb. The only thing that spoilt it was the cast of TAPS who were there and thought it would be funny to heckle every time someone tried to sing or talk.

“My grandson got upset as he could not hear and many people told TAPS to stop. If anything, it showed what good performers CATS were as they just ignored them and carried on.”

CATS leader Lorraine Marshall told The News the behaviour left a bad taste in the mouth of the cast but that there would not be any tit-for-tat retaliation at TAPS’ upcoming performance of Jack and the Beanstalk in Tatworth.

She said: “Every panto wants booing and hissing and that sort of stuff but this was over the top. A few of them used to be part of our cast and didn’t get the parts they wanted, and they have got quite nasty about it. It’s very disappointing.

“I felt very sorry for the cast and members of the audience because people have said to me that it ruined their night.

The cast members were absolutely fuming about it, especially the ones who were singled out and became flustered and forgot their lines.

“Normally, all the local amateur dramatic groups try and support each other.

I am going to put it down to the individuals and not the group but I am not going to lower myself or CATS to that level.”

TAPS, however, maintains that the participation was no more than could reasonably be expected at a local pantomime and put the ribbing down to “banter”.

Secretary Sheila Harding said: “It wasn’t anything different to what others might do at a performance where people know one another. Some of our members gave a little bit of banter and they took offence.

“We go to many local pantos, not just Chard, and it is all just part and parcel of it. It’s part of the banter between groups.

“Maybe we might have been a fraction too loud but we are well and truly expecting them to retaliate at our performance.

They weren’t very good at ad-libbing whereas we will be ready – it will certainly be interesting.”

n TAPS’ performance of Jack and the Beanstalk is on February 26, 27 and 28 and tickets are on sale from South Chard Post Office, Herberts Store Tatworth, and Kenny’s Hairdressers in Chard for £5 or £4 for concessions.