Stafford Gatehouse Theatre’s 2025/26 pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, smashed box office records to become the most successful show ever at the theatre.

The panto was seen by 19,452 people over the festive period, drawing rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.

It is also the first show in Gatehouse history to have taken more than £500,000 in ticket sales, smashing the previous records set by last year’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk and tops off a hugely successful 2025 for the Eastgate Street venue.

General Manager Gary Stevens said: "We want to thank everyone who made Sleeping Beauty such a massive success, from the cast to the housekeeping staff and everyone in between. It’s been a real team effort and it’s fantastic to have set a new record for the theatre.

We’d also like to thank our amazing army of volunteers who turned out for every show to make sure things ran smoothly - we couldn’t do it without them. But most of all, we’d like to thank the people who came along to see this incredible show in all weathers.

It was great to see so many families of all ages having a traditional feel-good night out. For lots of the younger children it might have been the first time they’ve experienced the magic of the theatre and seeing the smiles on so many faces makes it all worthwhile."

The record-breaking run, starring CBBC legend Mark Rhodes, followed another successful year for the Gatehouse, which has bucked national trends to see footfall increasing year-on-year, with more than 150,000 people passed through the doors of the theatre in 2025.

Preparations are already under way for next Christmas' production of Aladdin, with more than 2,000 tickets already snapped up.

For more information and to book your tickets, call 01785 619080 or visit gatehousetheatre.co.uk.