THE PANTOMIME TRADITION
After the War a renowned “Local Yokels” Amateur Dramatics Group was set up locally and included Terry Sapwell and Ron Groom from Stoke Goldington, who put on very well-regarded pantomimes in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the early 1990s, after some nostalgic conversations with other villagers, the idea of rekindling previous pantomimes was raised and agreed enthusiastically in the locality.
The Gate Amateur Dramatics Society was born (GADS)
The first production planned was “Mother Goose“, written by Terry with songs by Ron.
Rehearsals began in 1992 but unfortunately the new Village Hall did not have a fixed stage, so it had to be constructed from borrowed equipment in the week before the opening date in January 1993
The production was lifted far above usual village amateur efforts by the magnificent scenery painted by local artist Kathleen Thompson, which drew gasps of astonishment from the audiences when first revealed at curtain up.
The Enchanted Wood (with UV highlights)
The pantomimes involved a large number of adults and children from Stoke and surrounding villages on and behind the stage for scripts, costumes, props, electrical services, refreshments etc
The productions continued annually from 1993 until 2007 as below:-
| DATE | PRODUCTION |
| 1993 | Mother Goose |
| 1994 | Aladdin |
| 1995 | Rumpelstiltskin |
| 1996 | Dick Whittington |
| 1997 | Cinderella |
| 1998 | Jack & the Beanstalk |
| 1999 | Pied Piper |
| 2000 | Robin Hood |
| 2001 | Dick Turpin |
| 2002 | Sinbad the Sailor |
| 2003 | Puss in Boots |
| 2004 | Aladdin |
| 2005 | NO production in 2005 |
| 2006 | Sleeping Beauty |
| 2007 | Jack & The Beanstalk (last) |
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Folders containing photographs and scripts of each production are held in the SGA Archive and also some information on the original Bunch-of-Locals activities.