The End of the Pantomime Horse is a novella. The Other Tales are a collection of shorter stories, which have nothing directly to do with each other, nor with pantomimes – except they are linked by having panto parodic titles, each one a case of playing with a title and seeing where it leads!
(Or search for Chris Adams Ward on the Amazon site where you live.)
The End of the Pantomime Horse
When his agent sets him up with a job as pianist for a pantomime, middle-aged professional musician Phil Hanson isn’t filled with a great deal of enthusiasm. Teenager Tanya Gerrard, on the other hand, grabs her opportunity with both hands. She is thrilled to embrace her first professional role on stage – even if it’s only the rear end of a dancing horse!
Oh well, thinks Phil at the start of rehearsals, at least the music in the show is pretty good. He is also pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoys chatting with Tanya – who shares his love of good music. Maybe a season of pantomime ain’t so bad, after all!
However, amongst the cast, conflicts are brewing, threatening the success of the show. Will Tanya’s first experience of show business turn out to be one she’d rather forget?
Other Tales
In Snowy White and the Severn Bridge a small time crook escaping from the cops has an unexpected encounter on the Severn Bridge, with dramatic results.
A Lad In is a comic Sci-Fi story in which a teenager, mad on computer-games, gets transported to a land of adventure where the dangers are all too real.
Ali’s Barber and the Four Teen Eves is the tale of a frustrated barber, his envy of his friend the stud, and a planned assignation, which doesn’t quite go according to plan.
In Jack and the Beans Talk an eccentric gardener is confronted by a group of young thugs who get more than they bargained for.
Goldie Locks and the Three Beers relates the adventures of a golden retriever when its master has more drinks than usual and mysterious goings-on are observed – a gentle nod in the direction of Famous Five type stories, viewed from an unusual perspective.
In Cindy’s Fella a teenage girl on the edge of despair is helped by a new friend.