MINEHEAD Panto People are gearing up for their annual festive treat and will present The Pied Piper at the Regal Theatre, Minehead, from Friday (December 30).

The traditional panto by Alan Frayn has lively dance routines, popular songs, a UV scene, an hilarious cooking scene, plenty of slapstick and lots of audience participation.

The story unfolds in the rat infested town of Hamelin. Pippen the Piper rids the town of a plague of rats with his enchanting pipe music,.

But unfortunately, due to an evil spell from Sour-Kraut the evil Sorceress, all the town’s children are led away to the Magic Mountain as well. Are they lost forever? Can the sweet Fairy Strudel bring them home?

Other panto characters include Rat-Worst the leader of the rats with his four apprentices Squeaky, Beaky, Cheeky and Leaky, the German sausage-maker Helga and her crazy sausage stuffer son, Willie.

And not forgetting the comical, hopelessly idiotic rat catchers, Blatter and Splatter.

Performances run from December 30 to January 7, with matinées on New Year’s Eve and January 1, 2 and 7. There are no performances on January  3 and 4.

Tickets cost £10 for adults, £9.50 Friends, £6.50 ES40s, students and children £6.50, and £30 for two-adult, two-children family tickets. Tickets and times information are available from the box office 01643 706430 or via the Regal Theatre website.

Photos: Paul Davies