Countdown is on to Millennium Forum panto opening night - oh yes it is!

Already, over 20,000 tickets have been booked to see Jack & The Beanstalk at the North West’s leading cultural venue as local audiences prepare for a fun-filled festive extravaganza this Christmas.

David McLaughlin, Chief Executive of the Millennium Forum and writer/producer of Jack & The Beanstalk, is excited for everyone to see this year’s production. He said: “Christmas pantomimes have always been at the heart of the Derry Christmas and this tradition has continued at the Forum from when we hosted our very first panto back in 2001.

"Since then, generations of families have enjoyed magical Christmas memories at our theatre and this year promises to be no exception. We have a fantastic show lined up that I know everyone (young and old) will enjoy.

"With our incredibly talented cast, fantastic song and dance routines, great comedy, amazing special effects, Caroline The Cow, Makaton song and lots more, Jack & The Beanstalk is set to be our biggest panto yet. Tickets are already selling fast, so I would encourage everyone to secure their seats soon to avoid disappointment.”

Mags Anderson, Education Officer & Schools Marketing Officer, added: “This year we’ve seen a significant increase in schools attendances to our panto which is very encouraging. We have schools from Ballymoney, Portstewart, Derrybeg, Omagh and Fermanagh travelling to see Jack & The Beanstalk and we even have a group coming from as far away as Co Leitrim!

"This is incredible and is testament to our reputation of producing the best quality panto show that the North West region has to offer and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone for a fun-filled few hours at the theatre this Christmas.”

Starring Conal Gallen as Dame Trot plus a cast of local and Northern Ireland talent, Jack & The Beanstalk at the Millennium Forum is guaranteed to be the biggest show of the festive season. Proudly sponsored by the Richmond Centre, it opens at the Millennium Forum on Thursday, November 30 and runs until Sunday, December 31. Tickets are now available from the Box Office. Telephone 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.