Was panto a success - oh yes it was (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Was panto a success - oh yes it was

4:34pm Tuesday 3rd January 2012 in Arts By Warwick Payne

THEATRE bosses have enjoyed a happy ending with near record crowds for their latest pantomime.

Cinderella finished its four-week run at the Theatre Royal in Winchester on Monday (January 2).

Last winter’s in-house production, Peter Pan, was the most successful in the venue’s history.

Around 90 per cent of the tickets for the 45 shows were sold, smashing the targets set by theatre bosses.

Early signs are that audience numbers for Cinderella were only slightly behind those figures.

As a result, while not being a record-breaking show, it is still one of the most successful staged by the venue.

Theatre director Mark Courtice said: ‘We’ve had a joyful Christmas with the huge pleasure of welcoming near record numbers to Cinderella.

“With our company of talented performers and even in recessionary times, everybody has been out for a good time.

“We are now looking forward to an exciting spring season and are already planning next Christmas’s jollities.”

Work on next winter’s pantomime – which is currently being kept under wraps – is expected to start within weeks.

Before that, several household names are due to visit Winchester as part of the venue’s spring programme.

Comedians Stewart Lee and Russell Kane will be dropping by and Simon Callow will be speaking about his new book on Charles Dickens.

The major drama productions include James Wilby and Sara Crowe in Terence Rattigan’s Less Than Kind in mid March.

Other highlights include The Young Vic’s production of Kafka’s Monkey in late April.

For more details visit www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk or call the box office on 01962 840440.