BEACON bosses have revealed that their latest panto has smashed box office records - with more than 17,500 people enjoying the festive show.
Beauty and the Beast, which starred Still Game stars Jane McCarry and Mark Cox, sold 17,644 tickets across 39 performances.
This is the highest number of panto tickets the venue has ever sold, with the show also earning rave reviews from critics across Scotland.
This year’s production also made headlines when panto favourite Lee Samuel accepted a proposal from his partner Lee Johnston on stage.
Theatre critic Liam Rudden, who reviews up to 20 pantomimes across the UK every year, declared the show the ‘best in Scotland’.
He said: “Beauty and the Beast is one of the best local pantos I’ve seen in a few years. I would be surprised if I see better.”
“Pantos this good don’t come along very often.
READ MORE: On-stage proposal during panto at Greenock's Beacon Arts Centre
“All theatre is about people and this is a pantomime that not only knows its audience but its place in the community.
“It may not be in the biggest theatre or have a million-pound budget like some, but what it does have is priceless, a great big heart, a lot of soul and a talented team on stage and off that is second to none.”
In its review of the show, Broadway World said: “It's genuinely got everything, a fresh and funny script, a star casting with great talent and brilliant set and costume design.
“Once again the Beacon has proven itself to be one of the top pantomimes in the country and one I'll be continuing to nag everyone I know to get along to."
The pantomime was produced in house by the Beacon this year, and was written by Alan McHugh and directed by Beth Morton.
Karen Townsend, co-director of the venue, said: “We are all incredibly proud to bring such a high quality, fun and touching production to the heart of Inverclyde.
READ MORE: Inverclyde's flagship panto is a comedy masterclass with a lot of heart and soul
“Our ambition is always to make the arts accessible to all and bring the best possible productions to the stage to delight people from Inverclyde and beyond.
“We are delighted to welcome such talented actors, creative teams and staff and are incredibly grateful to everyone for their hard work.
“This year’s cast, including Beacon regulars Jane McCarry, Mark Cox, Jimmy Chisolm and Lee Samuel, pulled out all the stops to pack our theatre with music, magic and laughter and it was wonderful to see faces light up with the joy of theatre.
“This was a special year for the Beacon Arts Centre as it capped off a year of celebrating our tenth year of lighting up lives in Inverclyde, and we are delighted to end the year with another record-breaking year for our panto.
“We are hard at work planning next year’s show and we look forward to a packed programme of theatre, arts and opportunities for people to get involved throughout 2024.”
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