Hurst Players go in search of Treasure Island

Spokeswoman Anne Hopper said it won’t be quite perhaps as devotees of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel will remember it: “But it will be a home-grown traditional panto – a rollicking tale of buccaneers and buried treasure, written by Bob Sampson and directed by Annette Squire.

"We’ll have Long John Silver and his band of renegades, a traditional pantomime dame and a hairy mermaid plus our variation on some of the characters from the book, Squire Trelawney, Billy Bones and Blind Pugh, now renamed Blind Poo. This is a panto! And not forgetting our hero Jim Lad Hawkins and a wonderfully heart-warming romance with Squire Trelawney’s daughter Tamsin.

“We hope you’ll join us as the men and women of the good ship Hysteria, an equal opportunities ship, set sail for warmer climes for eight performances beginning on December 29 at 7pm and December 30 also at 7pm. There are afternoon performances at 2pm on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day plus evening performances at 7pm on January 5 and 6 with the final two performances at 2pm and 7pm on January 7.

“Tickets – £11 for adults £8 for children under 12 – can be booked online from www.hurstplayers.org.uk and we have a family ticket available for two adults and two children at £34.”

The Hurstpierpoint Players have been consistently busy over the years, always looking forward to the next challenge. "Nowadays the company conducts an average of four productions a year, spanning the full range of theatrical styles. In addition to the usual comedies and dramas, The Players have also produced cabarets, musicals, evenings of one-act plays, and more.

"One of the more daring ventures took place in 1999, when a three-day, non-stop Shakespeare marathon was organised to raise funds for repairs to the theatre building.

"The feat was repeated again in 2017. Guest readers in this extraordinary endeavour have included Des Lynam, Jimmy Hill, Greta Scacchi, Alan Leith, and Gwyneth Powell.”