Little Red Riding Hood all set to bring pantomime fun to The Garage

Pantomime season will soon be upon us - oh yes it will! - and The Garage is among the Norwich venues busily preparing for its festive show.

The Garage is teaming up with theatre company All-In Productions to present My First Panto: Little Red Riding Hood, a show devised for children aged two to seven and their families, and a trio of actor-musicians have just been cast to bring the classic story to the stage.

The cast includes singer-songwriter Lisa Wright who has performed in Sunny Afternoon and Someone Once Told Me, Oliver Grant who has been on tour with War Horse and Stick Man, and Joanna Brown whose theatre credits include The Scarecrow's Wedding.

Director Daniel Burgess, who also directed My First Panto: Cinderella at The Garage last year, said: 'I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into rehearsals with the cast.

'They have a wealth of experience and between them have toured the world, topped charts and performed in award winning shows. It's going to make Little Red Riding Hood so magical and so much bigger and better than last year's My First Panto.

'It's also wonderful to have last year's Prince Charming, Lloyd Gorman, back as composer for the show.'

The show - which will run from December 1 to 29 - is completely interactive, with the young audience members invited to get involved in everything from singing and dancing to helping make treats for granny and scaring spiders.

The production is also running a competition for three to seven-year-olds to design Little Red Riding Hood's cloak.

Entries close on October 30 and the winning design will be made into the cloak worn in the show. For full details on how to enter the competition and how to book tickets for the show, visit www.thegarage.org.uk or call 01603 598646

Lots of other shows are also preparing to entertain Norwich audiences this Christmas.

They include Sleeping Beauty at Norwich Theatre Royal from December 13 to January 14, The Steadfast Tin Soldier at Norwich Puppet Theatre from December 21 to 30, A Christmas Carol: The Musical presented by Planet Productions at Daynes Sports Centre, in Tombland, from December 20 to 31, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase at Maddermarket Theatre from December 16 to 31, and The Lock In 'Christmas Carol' at Norwich Playhouse on December 9.