Stafford panto Beauty and The Beast pulls in record audience
A record number of people saw Stafford Gatehouse Theatre's latest panto over the festive period as thousands flocked to the shows.
More than 18,000 people saw Beauty and the Beast on stage and theatre bosses said tickets for this year's panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, were already selling well.
The spectacular production of Beauty and the Beast, starring CBBC’s Mark Rhodes, as well as family favourites Theo The Mouse and Wink Taylor from The Sooty Show, earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Theatre-goers described it as ‘a fantastic fun night out’ and ‘the best panto ever’, while critics gave it several five-star reviews and bloggers rated it as ‘absolutely brilliant’.
The show was produced by Britain’s top pantomime production company Imagine Theatre and the attendance was more than 1,500 up on the previous year’s Cinderella, which set new sales records at that time.
It was directed by award-winning Richard Cheshire, who is also MA course leader in contemporary pantomime at Staffordshire University.
Gatehouse general manager Gary Stevens said: "We’re absolutely delighted to see so many people come and have a great time at our panto.
"It’s a real family occasion and a trip to the Gatehouse is becoming a festive tradition now for many people.
"Towards the end of the run, we were absolutely sold out and some people were even coming back to see the show twice!
"Incredibly, we’ve already sold almost 2,000 tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk later this year and our message to people is to book early to avoid disappointment."
Freedom Leisure, one of the UK’s leading charitable and not-for-profit leisure trusts, manages the Gatehouse on behalf of Stafford Borough Council.
Freedom Leisure’s area manager for Stafford, Liz Hulse said: "It’s fantastic to see so many people coming to the panto in Stafford – the numbers go up every year and the feedback we get is amazing. It’s a real community event.
"It was a great year for the Gatehouse and the success of Beauty and the Beast rounded it off perfectly. Now we can’t wait to do it all again over the next 12 months."
Councillor Gillian Pardesi, cabinet member for leisure at Stafford Borough Council, said the show was ‘a joy to attend’ and council leader Aidan Godfrey described it as ‘fabulous’.
This year’s run of Jack and the Beanstalk opens with school performances on December 13 and runs through to January 5, 2025.
To book tickets contact the box office on 01785 619080 or visit gatehousetheatre.co.uk
