AMATEUR actors and actresses they may be but Panda Players are just as professional as the next and even had rising star Carey Mulligan in their mists.

The group is based in Chesham and Amersham and are preparing for their next show, Pandas' Pirates of Penzance.

Mulligan, whose parents live in Gerrards Cross, starred in the Player's Once Upon a Mattress in 2004 before she bagged the role of Kitty in Pride and Prejudice, alongside Keira Knightley.

She has gone from strength to strength since starring in An Education where she scooped a Best Actress BAFTA and as a lead opposite Knightley in Never Let Me Go.

Director Trish Lewis starred opposite her. She said: “That is my claim to fame. She was a lovely girl. She was a pleasure to work with.

“We also have a girl called Alison Langer, whose voice is to die for. She's at Guildhall. She's brilliant. One to look out for.

“A lot of time people who are in amateur theatre could go professional work quite easily. They choose not to.”

The Pandas' Pirates of Penzance is not what audience members will be used to as Lewis as brought it up to the present day.

Lewis said: “We have added two songs from another Gilbert and Sullivan opera. Some of the dialogue has been updated a bit.

“The original daughters of Major-General Stanley have now been moved to Penzance as a holiday destination with the Women's Institute on a Saga holiday and a hen party down in Penzance having their hen weekend.

“It was great fun. The girls particularly enjoyed it as it is a bit different. The girls do have something else to do. The men are still pirates and policemen.”

Gilbert and Sullivan's work is now out of copyright which gives directors the chance to enjoy themselves and change things around a bit.

Lewis, who is from Wendover, said: “With all the modern musicals we have to be very careful to what we do. If we changed it even slightly the copyrighters come down on us like a ton of bricks.

“There are, of course, an awful lots of purists around. Some do throw their hands up in the air.”

The Panda Players has about 40 members and it does one show a year. It rehearses in Amersham and Chesham on a Monday and Thursday night.

About 30 people are in the show this year. Lewis said: “There is a twist at the end. Everyone can have a look for lots of clues during the show.”

Pandas' Pirates of Penzance will be at the Elgiva Theatre, Chesham from March 9-12. Evening performances start at 7.45pm and Saturday matinee starts at 2.30pm. Tickets are £10-£16. call 01494794399 or 01494582900.