South Tyneside theatre's appeal for panto audiences to help boost cash reserves

Bucket collections at the end of every performance of Snow White will benefit The Customs House Trust Ltd – the charitable arm behind the South Shields arts venue.

The Customs House has been a registered charity since it opened and – as it celebrates its 25th anniversary – bosses are asking audiences to contribute to its future.

Executive director Ray Spencer said: “We have faced real challenges this year with significant capital works, some seen, some unseen.

“Consequently, we enter 2020 with little reserves for any further unplanned expenditure, so we are asking our patrons to support us as our designated charity this year.”

The Customs House panto has previously raised funds for local organisations including The Charlie and Carter Foundation and NSPCC.

Snow White runs until January 5, and stars Ray Spencer as Dame Bella Ballcock, Davey Hopper as Arbuthnot, Annie Guy as Snow White, Dale Jewitt as Prince of the North, Steven Lee Hamilton as The Evil Queen, Bethan Amber as Minerva the Mirror and Charlie Raine and Luke Maddison as skunks Sniffy and Whiffy.

The pantomime was the first to be staged at the venue, in Mill Dam, South Shields, and is being performed again as part of the theatre’s anniversary celebrations.

Performance times vary and tickets, priced from £9.99, are available from the box office.

Tickets are also on sale now for next year’s panto, Rapunzel, which runs from Wednesday, November 25, 2020, to Sunday, January 3, 2021.