HISTORY OF THE PANTO COMPANY
Standing outside the Old Police Station in Bedlington, Northumberland, you might be forgiven for presuming it saw more action in its heyday of criminals and coppers than it ever does today. However, the building’s courtroom is now the backdrop for hidden nurseries and tropical isles; giant teddy bears and nursery rhyme characters roam the corridors; and it’s not unusual to spot an Ugly Sister or two locked in the cells.
All thanks to new residents – The Panto Company.
The company was started in 1999 by Matt Lee-Alliston and Patricia Ralston on their return to the UK from America, where Matt was a director for Resorts USA; a position in which he both directed his own stage productions and booked acts such as Smokey Robinson for the entertainment of his audiences.
Initially, The Panto Company did just that – produced pantomime tours for schools and clubs in the north east of England and beyond. Back then, its aims were clear: to restore magic to children’s theatre and return high production values to the genre. The company grew quickly, gaining a new director – Simon Drew – and a host of production consultants, sales staff, set designers, choreographers and more. It wasn’t long before a bigger audience than those found in school halls beckoned.
The Panto Company launched its first national theatre tours in February 2004, taking venues by storm with hit shows such as Robinson Crusoe, Jack & Jill In The Forgotten Nursery and Hey Diddle Diddle. And these were just the first productions to thrill audiences around the country as the company’s touring casts were invited back to theatres again and again.
The company's newer productions include Goldilocks & The Three Bears, Jack & Jill In The Return To The Forgotten Nursery, Rumplestiltskin, and Humpty Dumpty And The Incredibly Daring Rescue Of The Alien Princess In Deep Space.
While enjoying its entertainment productions enormously, The Panto Company also took its responsibility towards children very seriously, and created a series of issue based plays and workshops for schools on topics such as bullying, and teenage pregnancy. Plus, a SeeThrough Shakespeare project helped pupils prepare for questions about the Bard in their SATs tests, and the literacy based game show, Boredom Busters, took the pain out of working with words.
Success followed success, and it wasn’t long before The Panto Company was providing and managing entertainment teams at holiday centres up and down the country; devising and staging enterprise and training events for organisations such as Business Link, One North East and Job Centre Plus; and being commissioned to write and deliver new shows for SureStart and Health Action Zone.
It has been a great few years for The Panto Company; but no-one’s being complacent. More tours and workshops are already in production, new staff are being hired to tackle the mountain of work that continues to flood in, and a digital recording studio has been added to their ever expanding headquarters. The company aims to continue its collaboration with theatres, businesses, schools and clubs to create the projects they want – all with the style and ‘wow factor’ now associated as coming from Bedlington’s Old Police Station.
As the company says: The Competition? They’re Behind Us!
OUR PREMISES - TPC HQ
The Panto Company is based in amazing premises - the Old Police Station in Bedlington; the highest building above sea level in Northumberland.
Complete with cells and a court room, the new premises includes:
- A 24 track digital recording studio
- A booking office and meeting room
- A scenery and props workshop
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