A LOCAL amateur dramatics group is gearing up for its latest production, set in a place where it is always raining, the authorities are strapped for cash, and nothing seems to have changed for a very long time.

Sound familiar? If you live in South Brent you may discover that the Kingdom of Brentonia, the setting for the latest village pantomime The Sleeping Beauty, bears an uncanny resemblance to your home.

South Brent Amateur Dramatic Society has revived the pantomime they wrote and first presented in 2001, to entertain the village this winter. The show runs from Wednesday, January 25 to Saturday 28 in the village hall at 7.30pm, with a matinee on the Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm.

Several members of the parish council are doing their best to make sure all goes smoothly this time around. Vice chairman Cathie Pannell is directing the show ably assisted by chairman Greg Wall, while Cllr Sue Gaskin is in charge of costumes and plays the role of Tilly, Princess Aurora’s nurse.

As always it promises to be a lively and entertaining show for all the family, with plenty of singing, dancing and laughs, and some beautiful costumes and sets. No less than 20 children are in the cast, playing diverse and challenging parts from fairy godmothers, court ladies and members of the chorus, to woodland animals, guards and even the pantomime pony.

Donna Warne steps out from behind the counter at Crumbs and Cuppa to take the role of principal boy Prince Valiant of Totnesia, while Sarah Lanin, last seen as Roberta in The Railway Children in 2015 plays the princess. Tim McGill and Kim Kidney are the King and Queen of Brentonia, while Rob Kidney and Mike Sermon make a stunning pair of Fairy Godmothers.

Another SBADS pantomime stalwart Rob Lee has a string of one-liners as Tickles the court jester, while Val Meek appears as the wonderfully wicked evil fairy Caraboss.

Tickets are on sale now at the Mare and Foal Sanctuary charity shop in the village, between 10am and 12.30pm, or call the box office on 07812 414916.