When Jack Hart dropped off his wife at the village hall for a play reading, he never imagined it would lead to an involvement spanning half a century.

Now 90, Mr Hart is president of the Ringmer Dramatic Society, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

His wife, Queenie, who died three years ago at the age of 87, wanted to go to the reading of the Society's first production, The Rising Generation and Mr Hart found himself dragged into it as well.

He said: "I took her in the car and dropped her off for the reading.

"They were all ladies in the play reading except for one man and he implored me to stay and read with the others."

Mr Hart, then 40, played a teenager in the play about youngsters growing up. He was also involved in organising the electrics for the show.

He said: "It was a successful play. Everybody enjoyed it. It was the beginning of quite a few successful productions."

Since then, the society has performed an average of two productions a year.

To celebrate its anniversary, it is putting on Aladdin with a cast of 40 adults and dozens of children from Ringmer and the surrounding areas.

More than 30 costumes in Chinese and Egyptian style have been made by member Jean Drinan, to dress characters including Widow Twanky.

Aladdin is the first pantomime the society has put on in almost 20 years.

Ex-mayor of Lewes, John Webber, is the show's musical director and long-standing member Daphne Fox, the director.

Performances are still staged in Ringmer Village Hall, although the conditions are better than they were 50 years ago when it was called the Parish Room.

Mr Hart said: "We were working under difficult circumstances because it was a church hall really and it wanted a lot of things doing to it."

Eventually, Mr Hart became chairman of the village hall and successfully campaigned to get an extension for the hall, which was built in 1974.

Mr Hart, an ex-chairman of the parish council, became the society's president in the late Fifties.

Although Mr Hart does not act in the productions anymore, he still watches them and gives speeches.

The first show was on Saturday and performances continue tonight until Saturday at 7.30pm with a 3pm matinee on Saturday. For tickets, call 01273 477732.