Pantomime Cow
Culled after
Suspected Foot and Mouth Outbreak
By Jay Effkay ◦ 18-Dec-2007
Defra officials culled the cow just as Jack was taking it
to the market
Children and adults alike were left stunned
during a Saturday matinee performance of Jack and the Beanstalk
when government vets stormed the stage to cull the pantomime's cow
midway through the first act.
The Lyceum Theatre in the village of Stradly Walden,
Shropshire, has now been closed off and a 2 mile exclusion zone
imposed around the site. Audience members are undergoing thorough
disinfection before being allowed to leave the area.
Witness Sam, aged 9, told the Daily Fortnight "Jack was just taking Daisy to the market to be sold when two men dressed in overalls appeared on the stage". Sam's mother went on to describe what happened: "I thought it was a bit strange because I've seen this pantomime a few times and didn't remember this part of the script. But then one of the men held a bolt-gun to Daisy's head and everyone started screaming".
The carcass is now being removed from the stage in several pieces to be incinerated safely. Actors Union, Equity, have lodged an official complaint with Defra, while the Theatre managers are said to be looking for two "robust" actors to resume the role of Daisy.
An official spokesman for Defra said "the cow was clearly displaying some signs of dementia and appeared to be unable to walk properly. If Jack had succeeded in bringing the animal to the livestock market there would have been an unacceptable risk of disease spread. We had to perform an emergency cull in order to safeguard other livestock from any disease risk".
Witness Sam, aged 9, told the Daily Fortnight "Jack was just taking Daisy to the market to be sold when two men dressed in overalls appeared on the stage". Sam's mother went on to describe what happened: "I thought it was a bit strange because I've seen this pantomime a few times and didn't remember this part of the script. But then one of the men held a bolt-gun to Daisy's head and everyone started screaming".
The carcass is now being removed from the stage in several pieces to be incinerated safely. Actors Union, Equity, have lodged an official complaint with Defra, while the Theatre managers are said to be looking for two "robust" actors to resume the role of Daisy.
An official spokesman for Defra said "the cow was clearly displaying some signs of dementia and appeared to be unable to walk properly. If Jack had succeeded in bringing the animal to the livestock market there would have been an unacceptable risk of disease spread. We had to perform an emergency cull in order to safeguard other livestock from any disease risk".
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