Countdown to Crimbo

Hi panto fans!

Well only a few days to go until the big day, we busy getting our mince pies ready for Santa!

We want to say a big thank you to everyone involved with all of our pantos across the country for making this such a great season so far - if you haven't been to see a show yet there is still time!

We have had so many great reviews too which makes all the hard worth so worthwhile.

I hope you like the picture above of our two formidable Uglies on stage at Loughborough Town Hall - they have been having audiences in stitches!

Merry Christmas panto peeps!!

The Imagine Theatre team xx

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Hello everyone!

Well even with all of this snow about for our pantos 'the show must go on!'

Despite the freezing temperatures our panto pros have been taking to the stage and keeping audiences warm with plenty of laughs, fun and sing alongs!

So take a trip to one of our shows today for the perfect winter warm up!

Take care

The Imagine Theatre team xxx

(pictured a production shot from Aladdin at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe)

Congratulations Dave!

Hi panto fans!

We are very excited and pleased to announce that our lovely Dave the cow has won the Ben and Jerry's Panto Cow of the Year competition! Go Dave!

Dave, the star of Jack and the Beanstalk in Porthcawl, beat four other cows to be crowned the best panto cow in the UK and we are very proud of him - he is truly mooooovalous!

Dave said: "Thank you to everyone who voted and Moooorry Christmas!"

Love

The Imagine Theatre team x

All go in the world of panto!

Good morning panto fans!

Well what a weekend it has been in the world of panto! Our final shows opened - a huge well done to the casts of Sleeping Beauty, Halifax, Jack and the Beanstalk, Porthcawl, and Mother Goose, Leamington Spa.

We also had our gala night for Sleeping Beauty in Reading, it was fantastic - the pic above is our lovely Jane Tucker who plays Azuriel and Joloyn Dixon who stars as Nurse Nanny Nora.

So over the next couple of weeks we will be off to see more shows which will be lots of fun and perfect for getting us into the Christmas spirit!

Bye for now peeps!

The Imagine Theatre team xx

Kilmarnock audiences love panto!

Hi there panto peeps!

Well we are almost truly into panto season with our last shows beginning their festive runs in the next couple of days - so good luck to all involved!

We have been busy travelling the country seeing all of our shows and they have all been totally fabulous.

Dick Whittington at the Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock, has been having audiences in stitches! Liam Dolan and Steve Wren (pictured here) are quite the comedy duo!

Speak soon everyone!

The Imagine Theatre team

Good luck Sleeping Beauty Reading cast!

Hello panto peeps!

Well it has been another busy week in pantoland, more shows have started their run and we still have a few more to go!

The cast of Sleeping Beauty in Reading are getting ready for their first show tomorrow at the Hexagon Theatre - as they say in the theatre world break a leg guys and gals!

Our panto casts in Porthcawl and Halifax are still busy rehearsing - a big shout out has to go out to the Halifax cast of Sleeping Beauty for braving such snowy conditions - it is going to be a great show!

Don't forget to vote for Dave the panto cow (star of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Grand Pavilion) he's down to the final five panto cows in Ben and Jerry's national comp. Check out the website today www.benjerry.co.uk/pantocow/

Until next time panto fans xxx

More pantos into rehearsals and opening this week!

Hi panto fans,

It is another busy week in the world of panto, three more of our shows started rehearsals yesterday - Jack and the Beanstalk in Porthcawl (Gillian who plays Fairy is picture here - lovely lady!), Sleeping Beauty in Halifax and Mother Goose in Leamington Spa.

So the actors are being put through their paces as we speak, learning their lines and rehearsing their dance steps. They get to try on all of the fabulous costumes too!

Another panto that we co-produce at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry opens today, so good luck to the cast of Cinderella we know that you will be fab!

Bye for now panto fans!

The Imagine Theatre team xxx

Vote for Dave the cow!

Hello panto fans!

Exciting news from panto headquarters, Dave the cow who is playing Daisy in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Grand Pavilion has been nominated in a national competition!

We are over the moooon (see what we did there!) that Dave is down to the final five cows in the Ben and Jerry's Pantomime Cow competition.

Now Dave is a very special, talented cow and we think he has all the right mooooves (sorry we'll stop now!) to win! So vote for him today and help him win! http://www.benjerry.co.uk/pantocow/

Until next time panto fans!

The Imagine Theatre team xx :)

Sleeping Beauty cast are busy learning their lines!

Hi everyone!

Well another one of our pantos are now in rehearsals. The cast of Sleeping Beauty at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading started rehearsing yesterday.

Director Steve Boden (very important chap) has been putting them through their paces and helping them to learn their lines. This is Imagine's first production at the Hexagon and we are very excited!

Sleeping Beauty is one of the all-time classic fairytales but we have a few surprises too for Reading audiences - there is going to be something for everyone!

Speak soon panto fans,

The Imagine Theatre team xx

Three more pantos in rehearsals!

Afternoon everyone!

Well three more of our pantos started rehearsals today - Cinderella at Loughborough Town Hall, Aladdin at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe and Beauty and the Beast at Eden Court, Inverness.

So it will be all go this week for our stars and the members of the crew. Everyone will be busy learning their lines, getting into character and drinking plenty of cups of tea to keep them going!

So stay tuned for more rehearsal updates coming soon!

The Imagine team

It's all go in Kilmarnock

Hello panto fans!

We really are getting close to panto season and everyone involved in all our pantos is very excited :)

It's all go today in Kilmarnock as rehersals kick off! The Dick Whittington cast and crew are all on site from today at the Palace Theatre getting into the swing of things before the show opens on November 25th!

Watch this space for some sneek peaks of the rehersals in Kilmarnock as well as updates on the rest of the pantos.

Speak soon!

The Imagine Theatre team x

6 weeks to go....

Yep, just 6 weeks to go until our first panto goes into rehearsal! That's Cinderella at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on Mon 8th November.

Following closely on its heels is Dick Whittington at the Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock which starts on Thurs 11th Nov.

Then Monday 15th Nov sees Cinderella at Loughborough Town Hall, Aladdin at the Lyceum, Crewe and Beauty and the Beast at Eden Court, Inverness go into rehearsal.

PHEW..... but THEN

Monday 22nd November and it's the turn of Sleeping Beauty at the Hexagon, Reading.

Then last but by no means least into rehearsal on Monday 29th November go Mother Goose at the Spa Centre, Leamington, Jack and the Beanstalk at the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl and Sleeping Beauty at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

WOW!

We're exhausted just thinking about it, let alone doing it.... but BRING ON PANTO, we're nearly ready for the 2010 season!!

Azuriel on the radio

Did anyone hear the lovely Jane Tucker on BBC Radio Berkshire over the weekend? She was chatting about appearing in Sleeping Beauty at the Reading Hexagon! :)

Little panto stars!

Hi everyone,

As you can probably tell, it's been a rather busy few weeks for the Imagine team. We've been up and down the country launching various different pantos, but have also had auditions for the panto babes.

Thanks to ALL to came and auditioned at the different theatres. We are always really impressed by the talent that we see, and this year was no different. Infact, it was harder than ever to choose our favourites, as everyone was so fantastic! But congrats to all who made it through to the different shows- we can't wait to start working with all of you little stars :)

Also, we've just appeared in the Stoke Sentinal - for all of you who might be interested in coming to the Crewe Lyceum panto this year why not check out the article (pictured) here http://bit.ly/accaU5 for some show and cast updates!

That's all for now - coming up in the next few weeks...more panto updates and some behind the scenes news...

The Imagine team x :)

Fun in the sun at the Reading panto launch!

Hi everyone!

It was launch day in Reading last Saturday and the cast and crew of Sleeping Beauty met at the Hexagon Theatre to officially launch the show.

After getting into costume and having a tour of the theatre, the cast and crew set off for a photo shoot at the Forbury Hotel.

It was a great day, with lots of laughs! Stars of the show, including CBeebies star Justin Fletcher, got into character and created lots of mischeif (much to the amusement of hotel staff!)

Also having fun on the day was Rainbow star Jane Tucker, who plays the good fairy Azuriel and the lovely Sapphire Elia from TV's Britannia High, who plays Princess Belle.

Thanks to everyone who came down - it was a really fab day, and wasn't it a scorcher?!!! :)

Head to our facebook page - we've uploaded loads of pics from the day.

More updates to come soon, so watch this space panto fans!

the Imagine Theatre team x

Panto launch days!

Hello there!!

It's been such a crazy few weeks in panto land. We've been busy with various panto launch days, but all good fun!

It was Kilmarnock's turn last week, and the day was a huge sucess.

Thanks to all of the wonderful cast who were there to kick things off. Director and star of the show Liam Dolan, was joined by panto favourites Adele Rankin, Louise McCarthy and Susanne Donaldson . The fab four got to try on their costumes and get into character for the first time before rehersals start in early Novemeber. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the day!

The whole team are VERY excited about Dick Whittington at the Palace Theatre - watch this space for more updates on the show!

We're off to Reading tomorrow for the launch of Sleeping Beauty at the Hexagon Theatre! Let's hope it's a nice sunny day :)

That's all for now,

the Imagine Theatre team x

We're Back!

Well, here we go again! It's panto time, and we've managed to remember the password to our blog, so it's time to fill you all in on what's happening here at Imagine!

This week we're casting, sorting slosh, pulling props, working on panto babes performance licenses and performance schedules, trying on costumes and having the panto launch in Porthcawl for their production of Jack and the Beanstalk. So for those who think panto is just for christmas... think again!!