IT wasn't so much a case of breaking a leg as breaking a wrist for budding thespian Marion McDonald went she started treading the boards.

For, during a rehearsal for a production of Pinocchio, performed by the St James' Players in Hoghton, Marion, who was dressed in wedding costume, walked backwards, tripped on her trail and broke her wrist as it slammed into a fellow cast member's steel boot!

But, in true panto style, Marion, of Hoghton, insisted that the show went on - and it did, after all of her elaborate costumes were adapted to incorporate her sling!

Marion said: "I was playing the dame in the panto, Mrs Cornetto, and I spend most of the play chasing after the toy maker.

"Towards the end, I get to marry him so I get to wear an elaborate wedding costume.

"We were rehearsing our final bow and I got a chance to wear the dress so I put it on.

"I walked backwards, stood on the trail and fell down. I hit someone's steel boot on the way down, which is why I broke my wrist.

"I couldn't believe it when I was told it was broken. All the other cast members could say was at least I had gone down gracefully, because my dress had billowed up like a cloud as I fell!"

The cast, made up of members of local churches in the Hoghton and Brindle area, soon rallied to her aid to make sure that the show did go on. Their final show took place in St Joseph's Village Hall last weekend.

Marion, of Goosefoot Lane, added: "Being the dame, which is played by a woman more and more often these days, I had some very elaborate costumes and I though my hospital sling would stick out.

"But the costume people came up with a load of new slings which matched my costumes so you wouldn't know the difference.

"In fact, I don't think a lot of the audience even noticed!

For, during a rehearsal for a production of Pinocchio, performed by the St James' Players in Hoghton, Marion, who was dressed in wedding costume, walked backwards, tripped on her trail and broke her wrist as it slammed into a fellow cast member's steel boot!

But, in true panto style, Marion, of Hoghton, insisted that the show went on - and it did, after all of her elaborate costumes were adapted to incorporate her sling!

Marion said: "I was playing the dame in the panto, Mrs Cornetto, and I spend most of the play chasing after the toy maker.

"Towards the end, I get to marry him so I get to wear an elaborate wedding costume.

"We were rehearsing our final bow and I got a chance to wear the dress so I put it on.

"I walked backwards, stood on the trail and fell down. I hit someone's steel boot on the way down, which is why I broke my wrist.

"I couldn't believe it when I was told it was broken. All the other cast members could say was at least I had gone down gracefully, because my dress had billowed up like a cloud as I fell!"

The cast, made up of members of local churches in the Hoghton and Brindle area, soon rallied to her aid to make sure that the show did go on. Their final show took place in St Joseph's Village Hall last weekend.

Marion, of Goosefoot Lane, added: "Being the dame, which is played by a woman more and more often these days, I had some very elaborate costumes and I though my hospital sling would stick out.

"But the costume people came up with a load of new slings which matched my costumes so you wouldn't know the difference.

"In fact, I don't think a lot of the audience even noticed!

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