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Show must go on in memory of my mum

Marie Burchill
17/ 1/2008

IT’S been a family affair for more than 20 years – and Clare McCrory intends to keep it that way.

The 43-year-old nursery nurse has stepped into the breach to take charge of one of Didsbury’s longest-running annual amateur dramatic panto shows – originally created and written by her mum, Mary Garside, over 20-years-ago.

Clare – who works at Broad Oak Primary School – has stepped in to take over the reigns of the popular performances, put on by members of St Catherine’s Social Club, following her mum’s death from cancer in December 2005.

This year’s show – Goldilocks and the Three Bears – is being performed in tribute to Mary and will show three generations of her family coming together to present the well-known story tale with a twist – which Mary wrote with her husband Cyril Garside more than ten years ago.

The panto will also continue to raise money for charity, with the group having raised more than £125,000 for Francis House Children’s Hospice in the last 20 years.

Clare, who lives in Levenshulme, said: "My mum was a teacher at Cavendish Road Primary School and she had an amazing imagination. She would run the pantos every year, with the help of my dad, and during that time it would completely take over her life, and their house on Catterick Road in Didsbury. She was working full-time during most of the productions and it really tired her out, but she enjoyed it so much."

The first pantomime was held 21 years ago. Mary wrote the scripts and Cyril made the scenery.

Clare added: "I remember they tried to get me involved, but as it’s not really something that 20-year-olds want to be doing, I didn’t really want to know.

"But it only took two years for me to get fully roped in and I feel that it’s important that we carry on my mum’s legacy. I’ve got my son Joe helping out, as well as my husband, and my dad is still doing all the scenery.

"It’s a great community that has been built up over the years through the social club and everybody has a laugh more than anything."

This year the pantomime will raising money for St Ann’s Hospice, where Mary received treatment.

"My mum had lots of good friends within the group and I’m sure that she would be very proud of all of us. I also think that she will have been having a good laugh watching over us during our rehearsals," said Clare.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be shown at St Catherine’s Social Club on School Lane, Didsbury, from Thursday, February 7 until Sunday, February 10.