Sixty Years of Merry Making
A few images of some of the Moorland Merrymakers over the years - and the remarkable story behind Lloyd Mortimore's fifty performances ...
This year’s pantomime by the Moorland Merry Makers will sell around 700 tickets for their week-long run. The tremendous popularity of this event is a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of many local people - all dedicated to putting on a different show every year.
In 1964, a group of housewives established a fitness club, meeting regularly in Leusdon Memorial Hall. Something jelled between them, and they decided to put on a Christmas show at the end of the year. It was such a success amongst friends and family that the following year, it became a full-on pantomime production. So began a long run of shows involving hundreds of people, many returning year after year.
One long-term performer has been Lloyd Mortimore, who has been in 50 different shows. He has become very well known for his role as a Dame, amongst other leading characters. The story behind that involvement is fascinating.
Lloyd enjoyed watching the performances from a young age but, suffering from a speech impediment, never thought he could perform himself.
In 1972 Lloyd thought he could safely perform in just the chorus. A breakthrough moment came when the producer asked him to say just one line. The line produced a great laugh. “I suddenly realised people were laughing with me, not at me. It was a remarkable “switch” for me. I realised I could enjoy performing on stage.” He has never looked back.
Lloyd has never wholly overcome his stammer in his day-to-day conversations. But “I never stammer on stage - and it has helped me, more than any speech therapy, to be a confident public speaker in other situations”. He is, of course, well known as the regular announcer and compere at Widecombe Fair.
At the time of writing it is still possible to get tickets for Treasure Island, this year’s production.
