Stafford panto breaks records for venue - with extra dates due to demand
The theatrical run of Jack and the Beanstalk has been acclaimed as Stafford Gatehouse's most successful show.
The venue saw more than 19,000 people see the show over the festive period, with an extra week added due to demand as many performances sold out before closing on January 5.
Critics and audiences poured praise on the pantomime, which starred CBBC legend Mark Rhodes, The Sooty Show’s Wink Taylor and award-winning dame, David Phipps-Davis, and the theatre has now revealed that the show has produced the highest receipts for any show since the Gatehouse opened in 1982.
More than 1,000 tickets have already been booked for Sleeping Beauty for Christmas 2025, with a waiting list for school performances.
Councillor Gillian Pardesi, Stafford Council's cabinet member for Leisure, said the record-breaking run of Jack and the Beanstalk was great news for the local economy.
She said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at the panto, so I’m not surprised to see it was a record-breaking success.
"It was great traditional family fun and everyone I spoke to was full of praise for the acting, singing, staging and overall production.
"And it is obvious lots of people were impressed, so much so that more than 1,000 tickets have already been sold for next Christmas’ panto.
"This is also great news for the local economy with the Gatehouse providing a tremendous draw for residents and visitors to come to the county town."
In addition, the theatre sold more than 21,000 ice creams, packets of sweets and drinks over the run, as well as hundreds of souvenir programmes and there were also more than 100,000 social media interactions across Facebook, X and Instagram.
Gatehouse general manager Gary Stevens said: ‘We were absolutely blown away by the response to Jack and the Beanstalk, both in the numbers of people who attended and the audience reaction and people absolutely loved it.
"Two years ago, Cinderella attracted 16,000 people, so to hit around 19,000 this Christmas is tremendous growth and just goes to show how much people love a traditional family pantomime right on their doorstep.
"It’s a great boost for the town centre economy too, as evidence shows that for every £1.00 spent at the theatre, another £1.40 is taken by local pubs, shops and restaurants.
"And it really helps put Stafford on the map; we’ve had coverage from TV, radio and all sorts of press, as well as dozens of online bloggers and influencers. We even had people come to see the show from the USA.
"We’d like to thank everyone who came along, as well as all the people who supported the show, and of course our hard-working staff and brilliant army of volunteers as we couldn’t do it without them.
"Let’s do it all again next Christmas."
Tickets are on sale for Sleeping Beauty, which runs from December 5 to January 4, from the Box Office on 01785 619080 or at gatehousetheatre.co.uk
