Playhouse Panto Sparkles and Shines Again this Year

Wiltshire Creative's Pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, is another festive delight full of sparkling performances and fun for all the family.

The reputation of the Panto at Salisbury Playhouse is now well established, and this year's edition is no different, with plenty of colour, dance and songs to get the whole family clapping. 

There is humour for all the family, with plenty of innuendo, some of which is less subtle than others, and it ticks all the Panto boxes in terms of audience interaction and some fantastic singing. 

The standout performance comes from Eloise Runnette as Dolly the Cow, a Dolly Parton-inspired Cow, who can sing, dance and gyrate along with the best of them. Dolly has some of the show's best moments and a singing voice that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. 

Panto audiences in Salisbury have become accustomed to fantastic set design and costumes, and once again, designer Katie Lias has delivered everything they could want. A series of incredible costumes for our dame, Caroline Trotter (Dan Smith), features lovely touches and delivers funny moments, too. 

Once again, writers Plested, Brown & Wilsher have woven some satire in with a fresh retelling of a well-known tale, with some modern takes and a clever nod to a familiar opera-based insurance TV advert, which offers a great way to include sponsors, Howden Insurance, within the show without it feeling clunky. 

There are the usual digs at Swindon, Southampton and Andover as once again we are transported back to Salisburyshire as Jack Trotter (George Olney) and co have to rescue Dolly the Cow after being duped by the villain of the piece, Fleshcreep (Emma Norman), who works for the giant to stop music in Salisburyshire. 

Along the way, there are characters on wires, giant beanstalks, singing and dancing, and the possibility of getting wet or covered in 'snow'. 

Friday (5th December) evening's audience left in great spirits, recalling their favourite moments, still laughing and full of festive spirit after a fun and entertaining performance from the whole ensemble. 

You can book tickets on the Wiltshire Creative website - https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/jack-and-the-beanstalk

Starring in this year’s pantomime is:

• George Olney (Chicago UK Tour, Mamma Mia on West End) stars as happy-go-lucky milkman Jack. George returns to Salisbury Playhouse after his roles in Cinderella (2022) and A Chorus of Disapproval (2024). 
• Isabella Mason (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang UK Tour, SHOUT!) plays sassy singer and Jack’s love interest Jill. 
• Eloise Runnette (Sister Act UK Tour, Legally Blonde) plays Dolly the Cow. 
• Thomas Sutcliffe (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Wicked, Dirty Dancing on West End and UK Tour) plays Jill’s Dad and Salisburyshire’s famous, if reclusive, opera star, Pavarotti Perkins.
• Emma Norman (The Pirate Queen on the West End) plays Fleshcreep, the fun-hating villain and right-hand woman to the giant.
• Jack’s mum, Dame Caroline Trotter, is performed by Dan Smith (Worst Wedding Ever at Salisbury Playhouse, Carnaby Street The Musical UK Tour).
• After their performance in Wiltshire Creative’s 2024/25 pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, Nic James returns as Fairy Fabulous, The Fairy King of Rock and Roll. 
• The two onstage swings, Bella Donald and Brandon Thompson, also make a welcome return. 

Set and Costumes are designed by award-winning designer Katie Lias, who won ‘Best Costume Design’ at the 2025 UK Pantomime Awards for Sleeping Beauty (Wiltshire Creative, 2024). Sleeping Beauty was also nominated for Best Set Design (Katie Lias) and Best Pantomime (500-900 seats). 2025 was the third consecutive year that Wiltshire Creative’s pantomime has been recognised nationally at the UK Pantomime Awards, with 2023’s Dick Whittington and 2022’s Cinderella also receiving nominations