With tickets for the forthcoming pantomime selling faster than ever, Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn have announced that this year’s season will be extended until Sunday 8 January.

The venue confirmed that over 60% of tickets have already been sold for Beauty and the Beast, and several extra performances have now been added to meet audience demand.

Marketing Manager Craig Reeves revealed that Theatre Severn are set to break last year’s record when almost 35,000 people attended the Box Office smash hit Peter Pan. “We’re really looking forward to welcoming audiences back for another fun-filled panto season. Beauty and the Beast is a first for Theatre Severn and a brand-new production from Evolution. Seats are filling up as fast as ever! Early booking is highly recommended.”

Beauty and the Beast is written by Telford-born Paul Hendy and produced by Evolution, the hugely successful creative team behind pantomimes at Theatre Severn since 2011, and legendary Dame Brad Fitt returns to direct and star in the show.

Brad will be joined by a multi-talented cast including comedian Tommy J Rollason (as seen on Britain’s Got Talent 2022) as Jangles, and fresh from starring in Birmingham Hippodrome’s Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Samantha Dorrance will play the title role of Beauty. Kane Oliver Parry as Gaston, Tom Carter-Miles as the Beast, and Jo Osmond as the fairy, complete the cast who will delight audiences of all ages this Christmas.

Beauty and the Beast opens on Wednesday 30 November and runs until Sunday 8 January. Tickets are available here theatresevern.co.uk.