BEACON Arts Centre is celebrating another record-breaking year for its pantomime, with almost 21,000 tickets sold.
The Inverclyde venue’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk starred Still Game favourites Jane McCarry and Mark Cox alongside River City’s Jimmy Chisholm, and featured a guest voiceover from actor Martin Compston.
It welcomed a total of 20,729 audience members to 46 performances, an increase of more than 3,200 on its 2023 production.
It is the third year in a row that the venue’s pantomime has broken its own box office records in a huge boost to the town.
The show, which ran from December 7 to 31, was a co-creation from writer Alan McHugh and director Beth Morton.
Preparations are already under way for this year’s panto, which will be Sleeping Beauty. Tickets go on sale on 20 January, with audiences advised to buy tickets early to secure the best seats in the house.
In 2024, more than 1,000 people saw the show through the venue’s innovative pay-it-forward scheme, which widens access to the arts in Inverclyde. The initiative asks audience members attending the panto to pay a little bit extra for their tickets, with the amount decided at their discretion.
Collections are also made at the door, with pantomime stars encouraging those who can spare a little money to make a donation, and totals are boosted by individual donations and sponsorship.
Funds then go towards subsidising the cost of tickets, as well as transport, for people who might not be able to afford to attend. A total of 1,139 people saw performances of Jack and the Beanstalk through pay-it-forward.
The scheme also subsidises the cost of drama classes and arts workshops for people of all ages facing financial barriers to taking part.
Karen Townsend, co-director of Beacon Arts Centre, said: “We are incredibly proud of our pantomime, which always delivers joy and laughter to our audiences. Every year, the bar for quality, production and performances seems to get higher and higher and we are delighted to break our own record for ticket sales once again.
“The panto is one important piece of our mission to light up lives through the arts and we are so grateful to the talented actors, creative teams and staff who pull out all the stops to make it a special night for our audience, many of whom are coming to the theatre for the first time.
“We offer a year-round programme of theatre, music, comedy and art and there really is something for everyone at the Beacon. We can’t wait to welcome people along in 2025.”
