Emotions are high as Harrogate village panto faces the final curtain

“We hope that many of the people who have been involved in the past will come along to support our final production”

A plucky Harrogate community theatre group famed for bringing unusual and new twists to the art of panto is to bring the curtain down on their popular festive production for the very last time after 40 years.

Flashback to 1987 - The very first Pannal Players cast and production team. | Submitted

placeholder image — Flashback to 1987 - The very first Pannal Players cast and production team. | Submitted

Members of Pannal Players say it will be an emotional occasion when they perform their final ever charity panto in the village hall where it all began in 1987 for this inventive amateur dramatic group.

"We hope that this will be a special production for us and for our audiences,” said Michael Newby, chair of Pannal Players.

“We certainly want to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

“We hope that many of the people who have been involved in the past will come along to support our final production.”

Since forming four decades ago, Pannal Players have performed their panto every single year following their debut production of Aladdin, with the exception of 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

This fearless group have become known for mixing traditional fairy tales such as Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk with creative, modern, or pop-culture-themed twists, including Toy Story and The Sound of Music, and for their boldly unique adaptations featuring 70s rap music.

But while the burdens of creation have grown in recent years, ticket sales have travelled in the opposite direction.

“Although a lot of us have connections to Pannal, very few of us actually live in the village,” said Michael Newby, “with declining audiences and an increased administrative burden we have reluctantly decided to call it a day.”

Over the decades, Pannal Players have raised thousands of pounds for the Teenage and Young Persons Cancer Ward at St James Hospital in memory of Joanna Luty, a past member.

Forty and Farewell - Pannal Players present Snow White - will run from Wednesday, February 10 to Saturday, February 13, 2027 at Pannal Village Hall.

Early bird tickets are on sale now at £6 for Wednesday and Thursday and £7 for Friday and Saturday, including the Saturday matinee.

These prices will be held until December 31.

Tickets are available via the Pannal Players Facebook page.

Or book here