IT’S just the end of August - with hopefully still a good number of sunny days to come, but already thoughts in some quarters are beginning to turn towards winter's festive season.

Christmas and all the fun that entails is almost four months away - although there are hints in some shops and stores - but today Worcestershire families were being urged to begin thinking pantomimes. Oh, yes they were!

Malvern’s Festival Theatre staged its panto launch at the theatre and in the attractive grounds of Priory Park, attracting considerable attention from families attending an activity session in the theatre’s atrium area and others just out for a stroll in the park.

All of the main cast for this year’s show - Sleeping Beauty - were there and all said they had thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many members of the public and having their photos taken with eager young children.

Chris Pizzey, who appeared at Malvern in panto three years ago, will not only be appearing as Silly Billy, he will also be directing the show, and says: “This will be a magic pantomime for all the family and we are planning some big surprises for the audience.”

Chris, known for his appearances in television’s The Basil Brush Show, was joined at the launch by Eastenders actress, Gillian Wright, who will be playing Carabosse - the evil fairy, Amy Thompson, Rebecca Wheatley and Quinn Patrick.

For Amy Thompson it’s a welcome return to the theatre having appeared there in her first ever panto seven years ago.

One of the star’s of Channel 5’s Milkshake, she will be the Princess, Briar Rose, and says: “I thoroughly enjoyed my previous visit to the area and I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of the hills and surrounds when time permits”.

But for Gillian Wright though it’s her first time in the Malvern Hills area.

A regular in Eastenders for around eight years until 2013, she now makes only the occasional return appearances as she concentrates more on stage work and is currently appearing in the West End in the Alan Ayckbourn play - How The Other Half Loves - with Jenny Seagrove.

Although she has appeared in quite a few panto’s in the past she says: “I’m looking forward to this particular one. It’s a good script and we have got a good and a friendly cast.

“Panto’s provide quite a different and sometimes difficult acting discipline but they are such great fun”.

Quinn Patrick, beneath extremely heavy make-up and in a frothy red nurse’s outfit, in the role of the show’s dame - Nurse Nelly, said: “We’re all looking forward to opening in December although it is still quite some way off.

“We feel we have the makings of a magic panto”. And agreed with Chris Pizzey when he said there would be lots of surprises in store, especially a big one at the end of the show, and promised a show to please all the family.

Completing the main cast at the launch was Casualty’s Rebecca Wheatley who will be playing The Good Fairy.

Sleeping Beauty opens at the Festival, which attracts theatregoers from all over the West Midlands, on Thursday, December 15 and runs through to Sunday, January 8, 2017, with matinee performances on most days.