City’s Famous Panto to Take a Starring Role in London

By Paul Jeeves

York Theatre Royal has been chosen to feature in the London museum’s archives as its annual pantos are seen as a prime example of how the genre can be updated for today’s audiences.The annual productions in York draw in audiences from across the country and are peppered with modern cultural references while at the same time following the traditional plots of each pantomime.This year’s production of Dick Turpin will be filmed for inclusion in the museum’s theatre collection, which incorporates the National Video Archive of Performance.The show has already sold 22,000 tickets and will mark a landmark for Berwick Kaler, who this year celebrates 30 years of being the dame at York Theatre Royal.Another stalwart of the festive theatre season, David Leonard, will celebrate 21 years starring as the panto villain in York. Mr Kaler said: “I don’t think a world famous museum is the correct place for our annual ‘rubbish’.” The National Video Archive of Performance feature video recordings of the best contemporary stage productions which are made available for the public to research at Blythe House in Olympia in west London. There will be 68 performances of the York production between Thursday, December 11, and Saturday, January 31. Auditions take place tomorrow at the theatre to find young acting talent for the show. Tickets for the panto cost between 10 and 24 and are on sale from York Theatre Royal’s box office.

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