Thousands of tickets already sold for Shropshire's biggest panto

Will Tommy the Cat vanquish the evil King Rat? Will Dick become Lord Mayor? And will Dolly fit into all her frocks?

Find out this Christmas, as the epic tale of Dick Whittington returns to Shrewsbury for the first time in 20 years.

The first week of the Theatre Severn production of Dick Whittington – which features Brad Fitt and Radio Shropshire's Eric Smith along with Ben Thornton, Jemma Carlisle and Josh James – will also see more than 2,000 schoolchildren attending.

Craig Reeves, marketing manager at Theatre Severn, said the venue had been thrilled at the ticket sales so far and they were looking forward to welcoming audiences to watch the show.

He said: "It is wonderful to welcome over 2,000 schoolchildren and support staff to our opening performances this week, followed by our opening weekend when audiences of all ages will get their first opportunity to see the show."

Mr Reeves said that tickets sales are continuing to be strong with the theatre preparing for its busiest time of the year.

He also promised audiences plenty of laughs and a show "everyone will be talking about".

He said: "More than 32,000 tickets have been sold so far, and tickets are still selling fast.

"We've been in stitches watching Brad Fitt and our talented cast run through their final rehearsals, and there is no doubt that this is a show everyone will be talking about this Christmas.

"Pantomime season is our busiest and most enjoyable time of the year, with the venue buzzing from the moment we open, throughout the day and into the evening," Mr Reeves said.

"Seeing and hearing audiences react to the jokes, outlandish costumes, stunning sets, not to mention a few little surprises, is an absolute joy, for both the cast and staff at Theatre Severn.

"We look forward to seeing everyone over the festive season."

For tickets call the box office on (01743) 281281 or book online at theatresevern.co.uk