Be our guest! Shrewsbury panto cast officially launch Beauty and the Beast

The stars of this winter's Theatre Severn spectacular were in Shrewsbury to officially launch the show, which runs from Wednesday, November 30 to Monday, January 2. So far, tickets are selling faster than Greggs pasties on a cold winter lunchtime, with 22,000 - 60 per cent - having been snapped up already.

One may have expected legendary dame Brad, who is returning for his 12th year in Shrewsbury, to have donned a floatier, free-flowing number in the hot weather. But, the show must go on, and Brad, and the cast shared their excitement at being part of Beauty and the Beast, which has never been done before at Theatre Severn.

"It's sunny every year when we come for the launch, but it's never been the hottest day ever!" he said. "It's nice to be back. I'm really looking forward to it."

Starring alongside Brad - who will play the role of Nurse Nellie - will be Britain's Got Talent comedy juggler Tommy J Rollason as Jangles, and former Disney Channel star Samantha Dorrance. Samantha, who was born in Wolverhampton but grew up in Shrewsbury, will be familiar to many in the audience, having appeared twice in panto at Theatre Severn before.

The show will be written by prolific producer and Telford native Paul Hendy.

Brad's dames have been known to flirt outrageously with unsuspecting men in the audience, and this year, Nurse Nellie will also be setting her sights. Brad said: "I do like picking on people, but a lot of the time they sit in the same seats as the year before. I have a list."

He added: "Lots of people have been in touch saying they're coming back again this year. It's always nice to see people again."

Tommy, a multi-talented performer, displayed his juggling and unicycle skills at the launch.

He said: "I've not been here before but it's absolutely beautiful with the river and everything. Where I'm staying is a 25-minute walk from the theatre so I'm looking forward to walking in and getting a coffee on the way in the mornings. I'm really looking forward to working with Brad. Hopefully he can give me some tips on how to make a Shrewsbury audience laugh."

Samantha was first at Theatre Severn as Wendy in Peter Pan in 2009, and then as the lead in Cinderella a year later. Since then she has starred as Laura in Dreamboats and Petticoats in the West End, Tootsie in The Tale of Mr Tumble and has her own pop band for kids called Sammy and the Sparks.

She said: "I grew up here and all my friends are here. I love Shrewsbury so it feels like coming home. Shrewsbury is so beautiful at Christmas so I'm really looking forward to it."

Paul, who runs Evolution Productions and is a former TV host on Wheel of Fortune and Don't Try This At Home, said that ticket sales so far were "incredible", "It's beating every other theatre we produce in," he added. "We've got one of the best dames in the country. It's a really strong cast and I'm thrilled to be back."

For tickets visit theatresevern.co.uk/