Pantomime fun comes to Chichester's Priory Park this Christmas

Katie Bennett (contributed pic)Katie Bennett (contributed pic)
Katie Bennett (contributed pic)
Katie Bennett and Vicky Edwards are the writers of the specially-commissioned Priory Park Panto Experience which will add a very special extra sparkle to Christmas in Chichester this year.

Both will also be in show which will bring a cast of just four to the Guildhall in Priory Park from December 13-15 with tickets from The Novium.

They are promising a fabulous, magical, immersive festive show lasting around three quarters of an hour with the chance to meet and greet the cast afterwards and to say hello to Santa – and perhaps even give him your list.

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Fairy Sparkle dreams of being the fairy on the top of the tree. Santa and Mrs Santa are working their socks off to deliver Christmas on time. But Norman the naughty elf is plotting to ruin everything. It will be up to the audience to save the day.

As Katie explains: “Chichester District Council came to me and said they wanted to do something special for Christmas and did I have any ideas. Vicky and I had always wanted to do a panto together that we had created and written ourselves and I said what about we do that, especially in that historic building that has seen so many different things happening before but never panto. So I put the proposal together and they said yes which meant that we had to actually write it! We have drawn on wonderful actors that have done panto with before, really high-class actors.

“It's a small production. It's just the four of us. We decided the best format would be to do a 45-minute show and a 15-minute meet and greet with the cast and the idea is to get the whole Christmas experience for the children, a really magical experience. I've always loved panto. Usually when you do it, you get to do it for a month and a bit. This one is only three days but it has been such a joy to do. We would love to do it again if we get the chance. We have just had such a great time doing it and being creative and having fun especially when there is just so much going on in the world at the moment.

“Pantomime is just such a magical experience. It's often the first experience of the theatre for children, and when you think that there are so many arts cuts going on at the moment then a pantomime experience like this is even more important than ever – so we're so grateful that the district council is funding us and is allowing this to happen. The experience will be magical. And it is really just such a unique and historic space to be doing this in. And it just shows that you don't have to be in a theatre to enjoy theatre.”

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Katie will be playing Fairy Sparkle: “She longs to be at the top of the Christmas tree. It is every fairy’s dream. She wants to be at the top and shining bright and she is trying to do her best. She's doing her Wahay Levels and she is working very, very hard but unfortunately for her, her spells don't always work. She's always trying so hard and she has got this amazing spell that will make Santa go supersonic so that he can deliver the presents all around the world but unfortunately this spell goes wrong and unfortunately she is the catalyst for all the mishaps. It's not for want of trying to do her best but sometimes when you're trying to do your best things can go wrong!”

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