24 Dec 2010 1 Comment

Fantastic family fun at the Red Riding Hood panto …

The ballroom at the George Hotel in Penrith was the stage for the first Christmas panto in over 100 years on (Thursday 23^rd December), when Red Riding Hood was performed to almost 100 guests.  Sitting on cushions at the front of the stage were a host of young children who screamed at the wolf and laughed at Granny Hood.

Grannies, Granddads and young Mums all gave a glowing festive verdict on the performance, suggesting it was the best panto they had seen this season. Mrs Powley from Penrith brought their granddaughter and her friend, she said “It was simply fantastic. Just the right length for little ones and it was great to see the actors interacting with the audience so well. It was miles better than the one we saw in Carlisle.”

The idea of the pantomime came from General Manager Justin Wales who felt something magical was needed for little ones to celebrate the arrival of Christmas. “Mums must have taken chance to prepare for Christmas Day because there were so many grandparents at the performance. They all wanted to know if we are going to do another next year and that is a definite yes. The children all received gifts of a balloon and a decorated gingerbread man as a parting gift from the George Hotel.

Extra Infomation:
The panto performance allowed the ballroom to relive its day as a theatrical location and heart of community life in Penrith. In the 1860’s the Assembly Rooms (now the ballroom) was at the core of community activity -  it played host to famous theatricals  that included ‘Signor Boscow from the London Theatre.’ Since this main function room has become home to local groups  and playing host to entertainment celebrities like Lenny Henry and Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paula Yates and Jooles Holland.

by Dani in Lake District Hotels News, Local Events, The George Hotel News Tags: christmas, Cumbria, Displays, events, Family, festive, Food and Drink, George Hotel, Lake District, Lake District Hotels, music, panto, Penrith