Panto breaks records

Thousands flocked to the Gatehouse to see Jack and the Beanstalk

Stafford’s Gatehouse pantomime has set a new record for the theatre – with almost 19,000 people seeing Jack and the Beanstalk over the festive period.

The venue, operated by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Stafford Borough Council, produced the
spectacular show in partnership with Imagine Theatre, one of the country’s top theatrical production
companies.

The run was extended by a week and only ended on January 5th, after many performances sold out, and also produced the highest receipts for any show since the Gatehouse opened in 1982.

Critics and audiences alike poured praise on the pantomime, which starred CBBC legend Mark Rhodes, The Sooty Show’s Wink Taylor and award-winning dame, David Phipps-Davis.

More than 1,000 tickets have already been booked for Sleeping Beauty next Christmas with a waiting list for school performances.

Cllr Gillian Pardesi, Stafford Borough Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, said:

"The record-breaking run of Jack and the Beanstalk was ‘great news for the local economy’.

She added:

"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.
There were also more than 100,000 social media interactions across Facebook, X and Instagram.

Gatehouse General Manager, Gary Stevens, commented: ‘

"We were absolutely blown away by the response to the panto, both in the numbers of people who attended and the audience reaction
– people absolutely loved it.

He added: 

‘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."

Tickets are already on sale for Sleeping Beauty, which runs from December 5th to January 4th, and can be bought from the Stafford Gatehouse theatre Box Office on 01785 619080 or via the website; http://www.gatehousetheatre.co.uk