A Norfolk pantomime is making the headlines - oh yes it is. The Eastern Daily Press has landed a starring role in the latest production by Joyce Trett and her team at Wells.

A Norfolk pantomime is making the headlines - oh yes it is. The Eastern Daily Press has landed a starring role in the latest production by Joyce Trett and her team at Wells.

It is believed to be the first time that the EDP has been featured in the plot of the well-known story of The Wizard of Oz.

Reporter Richard Parr is making his panto debut in the role of the wizard and some of the characters, Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man discover him in the castle reading the latest edition of the EDP. He even tells them a rhyme about the newspaper and how it carries news from around the world and around the corner.

Staging a post-Christmas pantomime has become an established tradition in Wells and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the scripts by Joyce Trett who has a busy life as a town and district councillor.

It is the first time that the team has presented The Wizard of Oz and the cast are having a great time rehearsing ready for opening night at the town's Granary Theatre (within the Maltings) on February 13 with performances also on February 14 and 15 at 7.30pm.

“This is the first time that we have staged The Wizard of Oz and the cast are having great fun in their rehearsals. They all try hard to learn their lines and, even if they are not all word perfect, they carry it all off with great aplomb and some adlibbing always adds to the fun,” she said.

Local people have become used to the annual offering from Joyce's group and tickets are snapped up fast with the Friday night show almost sold out.

“We have staged many of the well-known pantomimes over the years and I always add our own twist to the traditional story often reflecting local issues in a humorous way.

“We often find the cast laughing so much that they can't always get their lines out as they should but the audiences seem to love it,” said Mrs Trett.

All proceeds from the ticket sales go towards supporting local worthwhile causes and thousands of pounds have been raised over the years.

t Tickets at £5 (adults) and £3 (children) are available from Martin's newsagents on Staithe Street at Wells.