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Yee ha! It’s time for the curtain to go up on the Norwich Theatre Royal pantomime

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Taz Ali

Published: 7:05 AM December 13, 2016 Updated: 10:49 AM October 10, 2020

Dress Rehearsal of the Norwich Theatre Royal panto 'Jack and the Beanstalk' PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher

It's time for the curtain to go up on the panto – oh yes it is!

Dress Rehearsal of the Norwich Theatre Royal panto 'Jack and the Beanstalk'PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher

Today brings the first performance of Norwich Theatre Royal's annual spectacular and audiences will be taken to the skies with the ever popular Jack and the Beanstalk.

Final preparations were made yesterday as the theatre staged its dress rehearsal and the dazzling première is today at 4pm.

There is a Wild West theme to the production, which has taken 18 months to put together.

The theatre has worked in collaboration with Scenic Projects, based in Lowestoft, which has built panto sets for the past eight years.

Dress Rehearsal of the Norwich Theatre Royal panto 'Jack and the Beanstalk'PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher

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The show promises magical performances by writer and director Richard Gauntlett, who returns to play the dame alongside West End performer Mira Ormala and comedy performer Ben Langley.

Also hoping to break a leg (of giants) is renowned former Royal Ballet dancer Wayne Sleep, who has also performed in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats and appeared on television's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

John Bultitude, the theatre's senior communications officer, said: 'Putting a complete show together in two-and-a-half weeks is quite a challenge but the cast are in very good spirits.

'For this year's production we've gone for a Wild West theme with lots of cowboys and cowgirls.