Alice panto tea party goes down a treat at City Hall

Members of the Alice in Wonderland cast, which performed in the month of January at the Burnavon theatre in Cookstown and sold over a record breaking 3000 tickets, were on hand to entertain families as they performed some of the scenes from the pantomime. The cast were joined by David Sloan, Chairman of the Society, Brian Morgan, Artistic Director and other committee members.

David Sloan, Chairman of Stewartstown Amateur Dramatic Society said: “It was an honour for our cast and committee members to perform in such surroundings as the Lord Mayor’s Chamber, and indeed to be the first dramatic society to have done so. Following our successful run in the Burnavon Theatre in January we were delighted to bring some of that Stewartstown sparkle to Belfast. It will be hard for us to beat this for next year’s pantomime, but plans are being hatched already, so watch out in Autumn time for our announcement.”

Over the past 13 years, Stewartstown Amateur Dramatic Society has provided a cross-community project that each year involves many of the local community in starring and supporting roles.

At the Belfast event, families were treated to a wonderland of sumptuous foods and other delights as the City Hall hosted a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to mark the close of Belfast Independent Retail Week. The Banqueting Hall, Reception Hall and Council Chamber were transformed into a fantasy world paying homage to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland tale to celebrate the uniqueness and quality of the city’s independent retail sector.

Among the highlights at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party were mouth-watering chocolate and cupcakes, fine tea, jewellery, flowers and giftware which showcased the rich produce on offer from retailers across Belfast. A Kids Zone also kept children entertained with face painting, games and a special reading of extracts from Alice in Wonderland.