Rapunzel - Simply Magical

Rapunzel, Prince Nathaniel of Neyland, Mother Gothel, Zephyr the Puffin, Periwinkle and Belinda Beehive brought the Torch Theatre stage to life over the festive period with the hair-larious, zany pantomime, Rapunzel. The professional cast, featuring lots of local talent, full of energy and endless raw talent delighted audiences of all ages from across Pembrokeshire and beyond.

Following on from the sell-out pantomime of Beauty and the Beast and the ever so popular Jack and the Beanstalk over recent years, Chelsey Gillard, Torch Theatre’s Artistic Director, excelled herself once again with her latest production as Torch Theatre community reviewers, Val Ruloff and Liam Dearden explain:

“The script was buzzing with the humming sound of a swarm of jokes flying in thick and fast, bubbling to overflow (much like Periwinkle the Sea Sprite) and bursting with the energy.”

They added:

“The musical score by James Williams is superb! It is such a privilege to have original music composed especially for the Torch pantomime. The numbers brought the whole production to life all over again, just as did the costumes, sets, props, lighting and special effects. 

“The music, in combination with the scenes and sets, gave rise to some great set pieces and double acts- including the fabulous Bay Wash pop/ rock group in the making- featuring the vocal talents, phantom guitar and drum playing skills of Prince Nathaniel of Neyland and Dame Belinda Beehive.”

“It was uplifting seeing so many of you coming to see Rapunzel – from schools to families. We had more entries than ever into our design competition - over 400! And we loved coming along on the Milford Lantern Parade. The whole company enjoyed having your help on their undersea adventure; booing, hissing, singing and dancing along,” said Chelsey Gillard.

Over 3000 school children from across Pembrokeshire saw the pantomime and six schools were successful in their bid in getting financial help towards attending the pantomime from the Arts Council of Wales Go and See Fund. 

"We were thrilled to see our auditorium filled with so many young people this Christmas. We know that pantomime is often the first spark of theatrical magic for a young person. We are grateful to the Arts Council for recognising the important role we play in introducing young people to the arts and helping to make these visits possible. Our commitment to these students continues beyond the curtain call, as every school receives a dedicated resource pack to bring the themes of the panto to life in the classroom. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!" said Tim Howe, Senior Manager for Youth and Community, who oversees educational outreach at the Torch.

And now that the curtains have closed once again on the festivities, plans for the 2026 pantomime are well under way. Brush up on your line dancing moves for Puss in Boots (with a whisker of Western adventure) this December. Can Puss help our heroes find fame and fur-tune? In Wild West Wales anything is possible! Pull on your cowboy boots and join us for this meow-sical extravaganza to find out. 

A special Early Bird offer is currently available for this brand-new pantomime with original songs, hiss-terical humour and more local references than you can shake your tail at. So be sure to get the best seats at the best prices right now.It’s going to be the cat’s pyjamas. Relaxed Environment Performance on Saturday 19 December at 2pm. BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday 22 December at 6pm. Visit the Torch Theatre website on www.torchtheatre.co.uk / or phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267 or click here.