Ali Baba's Camel

I DREW tonight at the after show-party. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was, as I mentioned, the last ever performance in the old school hall, although our drama group, the Horbury Pageant Players, has been invited to use the new auditorium when it opens next year.

In my drawing, David, our stage manager (third from the left), reminds me of Captain Haddock from the Tintin stories. David's wife Wendie (far right) is our producer. Her brother and his wife (the couple on the left) have a daughter Dominique, who appeared in our shows some years ago but who now works as an singer on cruises. She and her husband, also an entertainer, were ashore for tonight's performance. He was telling me how his job has taken him not only on the regular cruise routes, for instance to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, but also to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. Some ships employ a watercolour artist on board. Now that would be a nice job!

Wendie & David's granddaugther also appeared in tonight's pantomime but you won't recognise her in my pictures as she played the back end of the camel! (which got a round of applause for its exuberant dance routine).

I drew the characters during the first half of the show, made brief colour notes in the subdued light and quickly added watercolour during the interval.