Taibach Rugby Club Pantomime Performers, Port Talbot

Taibach Rugby Club pantomime performers, Port Talbot. Since 1968, steelworkers and rugby players have been putting on their outrageous shows to delighted crowds. The subject of a BBC documentary narrated by Michael Sheen, the panto also helped to bring the community together amid recent uncertainty over the future of Port Talbot steelworks. Peter Sexton, 74, says, “The motto in our Panto is there is no ‘I’ in team. There is a great friendship between the young and old including jokes which keep me on my toes and young at heart.”

In Jon Pountney's own words:

“The boys in Taibach, in Port Talbot, it was the first time that they’d been together actually, I think for 18 months or something because of COVID and they all worked together every year to put on a panto in the town. I think they’ve been doing that as a group since 1967, which is incredible kind of longevity. I think last year was the only year they haven’t been able to do one actually. Hilarious group! The oldest guy is Peter Sexton. He’s in his seventies, just really couldn’t wait to get outside and stop the traffic to pose in the middle of the road and didn’t take much, you know, much prompting from me to do that! So we did get some really good pictures that day. Amazing bunch, you know, great camaraderie and just a real good laugh really.”