Peter Armitage MBE, Marsden thespian and writer of scurrilous pantomimes over the past 40 years, has decided that the time has come to take a final curtain call. Oh yes he has!
The 83-year-old, whose son Simon is a world-famous poet, has penned and produced his last panto for the locally-infamous Colne Valley all-male performance troupe The Avalanche Dodgers.
Peter, who lays claim to writing 32 pantos and eight reviews for the Dodgers, says the annual shows have raised more than £150,000 for good causes in Marsden.
The pantos have become one of the village’s must-see events and are known for their irreverent take on local and national life, politics and personalities.
As Peter says: “It’s vulgar and insulting but it’s never been dirty and I have never been bothered if kids arrive to see it. I have never shied away from taking a pop at things.
“I had a joke in the last one about an unknown skeleton being found in Boots in the village ‘probably waiting for a prescription.’”
The Avalanche Dodgers was formed by a group of friends, who took refuge in a pub during a snowstorm – hence the name. Peter at that point was already an established amateur actor, singer and writer.
In recent years, however, following a diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which causes breathing problems, he’s withdrawn from performing and focussed on writing. The annual pantomime script was always produced while on holiday in Majorca at the end of the summer.
This year, for the first time, he plans to put his feet up and enjoy the sunshine. A panto for the post-festive period in 2019 is, instead, being written by the actress and playwright Maeve Larkin, known for her work with the Marsden-based Mikron Theatre Company.
Over the years Peter has performed for Huddersfield-born Prime Minister Harold Wilson, shared a dressing room with Patrick Stewart and been for a pint with Ian McKellen, who he met at one of Simon’s book launches. Back in 2013 he got an MBE for services to the theatre and in 2011 both he and Simon were honoured in the Examiner’s Community Awards. He’s written a musical, plays, and short sketches and says writing is a ‘great hobby’ that more people should try.
So what does he recommend to budding panto authors? “If you get a germ of an idea, write it down because you will forget,” he says. “And be a people watcher.
“There’s a lot of people appeared in my pantos and they had no idea. And reward yourself for knuckling down. I used to say to myself ‘you can have a bottle of beer if you write this piece.’”
While taking his final bow with the Dodgers, Peter says he’ll continue writing for his own pleasure. He’s also a well-known figure in local bowling and cricket clubs. And then, of course, there’s his small but beautifully floral back garden to tend.
