Pantomime

Click here for details of the 2008 Christmas Panto
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

A Fantastic Review of Last Year’s Pantomime

Just like the Beanstalk in the title, audiences at Chesterfield's annual Christmas pantomime just grew and grew.  Now staff at the Borough Council's Pomegranate are celebrating record attendances at the 59-year-old theatre.

Bruce James Productions' company has been treading the Christmas and New Year boards at the Pomegranate every year for the past four years and the policy of continuity has obviously paid off with 19,398 tickets sold for the 41 performances of "Jack and the Beanstalk" which ended its run at the weekend.

"It was producer Bruce James' fourth year with three of the cast also clocking up four successive years here - Dame, Patrick Kearns, Comic, James Campbell and 'Baddie', George Telfer", said theatre manager Liz Woodall. "Audiences have loved every one of their shows and this year seems to have been the best yet."

Cllr Keith Morgan, the Borough Council's Lead Member for Leisure, said: "Both the staff and company were delighted with the show's success and the overwhelming praise it received. We think ticket sales are the highest ever and it is tremendously gratifying to see local people supporting their local theatre so well when so many local theatres throughout the country, including the Northcott in Exeter and Derby Playhouse, have sadly had to close. I cannot commend our own theatre staff highly enough for their efforts through these extremely difficult times."

Comments from the audience included:
'Top class as usual'
'Absolutely brilliant'
'Even better than last year's'
'You won't go to a better pantomime anywhere'
In an emotional last night speech, Patrick Kearns thanked everyone and reminded the audience of the importance of their continued support for local theatre.