Pied Piper calling all theatre fans

Brayden Coldicutt is making his co-director debut as well as playing the Dame in the laugh-a-minute pantomime of Pied Piper, at Aubyn Theatre, Hastings, in the first week of the school holidays.

The 16-year-old, who is also a talented tap dancer, is helping director Liz Bassett with the Aubyn Live Theatre show, opening on Friday night. Last year he played the Dame in the company's production of Puss n Boots, also directed by Bassett.

Coldicutt will share on-stage duties with the King, aka his father Peter Coldicutt, a regular in Aubyn Live Theatre shows.

Adapted by Peter Webster from the original folk story of The Pied Piper of Hamlin, the plot, in true pantomime fashion, has a few twists. Head rat Ratsbane and his followers tire of being sewer dwellers and decide to take over the town. The desperate Mayor and townsfolk set the town's ratcatchers on to the task, but being a gangster, poker player and mystical madam respectively, they fail miserably.

Along comes the Pied Piper to save the day, except all is not as it appears. "The piper expects to be paid but it's a bit of a set up," says Bassett, adding that the antics of the ratcatchers provide plenty of the laughs. With a few modern songs and dances thrown in for good measure, audience members can expect a lot of fun from this show, she says.

What: The Pied Piper, Aubyn Live Theatre
Where & When: Aubyn Theatre, St Aubyn St, Hastings, 7.30pm September 28-29, October 2-6, matinee 2pm September 30
Tickets: $15/$12.50 for group of four or more from Denton Wyatt Booksellers, Hastings