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Puss in specs!
Join Dick Whittington at Salisbury Playhouse for an evening of festive frivolities and seasonal surprises!
“Salisbury Playhouse’s annual pantomime has long been one of this historic city’s big cultural events, playing to audiences of around 25,000 people every year. It is a vital part of Wiltshire Creative’s programme, offering young audiences what is often their first experience of live theatre.”
These are wise words from Gareth Machin, artistic director at Wiltshire Creative and the director of this year’s pantomime, ‘Dick Whittington’. What better way to introduce young audiences to live theatre than through the magic of pantomime, a beloved Christmas tradition brimming with nostalgia and fun not just for children, but for all generations of the family?
‘Dick Whittington’ takes the stage this year in Salisbury from Saturday 25 November until Sunday 7 January, marking this pantomime’s 13th outing at the Playhouse. It first came to town in 1944 and its popularity has seen it return at least once each decade since. This year’s version was written by Plested, Brown & Wilsher, the team behind last year’s award-winning production of ‘Cinderella’, so audiences are in for a real treat.
Interestingly, Salisbury Playhouse is one of around only 40 producing theatres remaining in the UK and having a workshop on site helps keep the panto magic close at hand. Daniel Gent, deputy head of workshop, explains that while pantomimes are festive, they are year-long projects:
“There is a break of a month in January where the workshop is completely panto-free, providing you ignore the glitter stuck to the workshop floor! Things carry on in the background throughout spring and then, as everyone is enjoying their summer holidays, we’re back in the workshop building the set ready for the festive season.”
Daniel adds that having an on-site workshop also helps Salisbury Playhouse champion sustainability:
“As the largest production of the year, pantomime is a prime place for clever reuse and recycling. Once the set for ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ (2017/18) had finished delighting our audiences, it went into storage before being given a facelift and then reappeared later that year in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2018/19). Continuing this trend of sustainability, for ‘Dick Whittington’ we will be reusing parts from last year’s ‘Cinderella’ (2022/23), so do look out for it this Christmas. However, be warned – it might look different to how you remember it!”
Speaking about the importance of pantomime in Salisbury Playhouse’s history, Gareth Machin explains:
“Every element of the show is rehearsed, built and created here in Salisbury and the extraordinary quality that we offer is testament to the outstanding skills of our in-house creatives, technicians and craftspeople. It’s been a huge privilege and responsibility to direct them over the past few years, knowing what a big part of the festive season the show plays for families – the production really has to be great! This year we’ve brought together a terrific company of actors who will bring the classic tale of ‘Dick Whittington’ to life, ensuring that once more our stage will explode with music, dance, laughter, and amazing visual effects.”
So why not join Dick Whittington and his cool cat Cosmo on the journey from “Salisburyshire” to London as they go in search of fame and fortune this holiday season? There’s nothing like a trip to the panto and visiting Salisbury Playhouse this Christmas is sure to leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.
For schools and youth groups, Wiltshire Creative has a very special group rate to take advantage of, at £12 per ticket including staff. More details can be found on the group’s website. Book your tickets online at wiltshirecreative.co.uk or by calling Ticket Sales on 01722 320333.
Dick Whittington
Salisbury Playhouse
Sat 25 Nov– Sun 7 Jan
wiltshirecreative.co.uk
01722 320333