Panto breaks record... Oh yes it does!

The festive production of Sleeping Beauty came to an end on Sunday, breaking box office records at the Church Street venue.

Finance chiefs at the theatre say Sleeping Beauty, which opened on December 5, has broken the venue’s own record for ticket sales year-on-year, making it the best-selling pantomime ever for the Grand.

And a staggering 6,000 more people attended this year’s telling of the classic fairy tale than when it was last staged at the Grand in 2007-8 – an increase of 23 per cent.

In total, 31,317 people attended the show in it’s month-long run.

Martin Dodd for UK Productions said: “I’m absolutely delighted with another record year at the Grand Theatre. The cast, crew, and production team have all worked hard to produce another great show for Blackpool.”

Sleeping Beauty starred comic Steve Royle, Radio Wave’s Hayley Kay and ex-Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison.