Lighthouse Poole is thrilled its in-house produced pantomime Dick Whittington has been nominated for Best Panto in this year’s UK Pantomime Awards, and the show’s sound designer Nico Menghini has also been nominated for Best Sound.
The UK Pantomime Association’s prestigious panto ‘Oscars’ are due to be announced in a glittering ceremony at Wycombe Swan Theatre in High Wycombe on Sunday 19 April.
“This is wonderful news; we are overjoyed,” says Lighthouse Chief Executive Elspeth McBain, the show’s producer.
“Pantomime is such a wonderful tradition and a real joy to create for our Lighthouse stage and our local audiences. It’s a complex production to put on and we are always mindful of the impact it has, from very young children who may be coming into a theatre for the first time, to the older generation, and everyone in between.
“When you make something that is so much about and for our local community, it is a real honour for it to make such an impact on a national level. We know how much our audiences enjoyed Dick Whittington, and the cast and company all had a wonderful time in Poole, so to be recognised in this way is just brilliant. Of course, we hope to win – but being nominated is recognition enough. Oh yes, it is…!”
Made in Poole especially for Lighthouse audiences, Dick Whittington was the latest in a run of hit productions in recent years and, like the smash hit Sleeping Beauty and UK Panto Award winners Aladdin and Cinderella, was written and directed by CBeebies’ Chris Jarvis with production designer James Smith, musical director Adam Tuffrey and choreographer Daniel Donaldson Todd.
Dick Whittington was proudly supported by National Express and Raymond James Poole.
Congratulating Lighthouse on the nominations, Helen Rooney, Marketing Manager at National Express, says: “We were proud to be part of Poole’s cherished pantomime and delighted to see how Dick Whittington captivated families across the region.
“Chris Jarvis, along with the cast, crew and whole Lighthouse team did a wonderful job bringing this much-loved story to the stage, and we were only too happy to help Dick on his journey from rags to riches.”
The UK Pantomime Awards Best Pantomime (550 to 950 seats) is sponsored by Showtime, part of Howden. The UK Pantomime Awards Best Sound is sponsored by Orbital Sound.
Jack and the Beanstalk, this year’s Lighthouse-produced family pantomime, starring Chris Jarvis and Sarah-Louise Young, is on sale now at Jack and the Beanstalk (Panto 2026/27) – Lighthouse and on 01202 280000.
(NC)