DISAPPOINTED ticketholders for the cancelled York Barbican pantomime can still get tickets to festive shows in the city this Christmas.

This week, the promoters of Dick Whittington announced that the show had been cancelled just over two weeks before the first performance.

The show, which was due to star Cbeebies star Alex Winters, Strictly Come Dancing’s Chloe Madeley, daughter of Richard and Judy, Coronation Street’s Danny Young and Bad Girls’ Kim Taylforth, was promoted by Kent-based company Blue Genie, who also promoted last year’s pantomime- Cinderella.

A spokesman for Blue Genie said: “It is with sincere regret that, due to circumstances beyond our control, the York Barbican and Blue Genie Entertainment production of Dick Whittington has been cancelled. Despite marketing the show to the highest of standards, ticket sales have been very disappointing and have shown no signs of significant improvement.”

The Barbican said despite the success of last year’s pantomime, which starred Tracy Beaker’s Dani Harmer, ticket sales and public response to this year’s event had been “less enthusiastic”.

Tickets are still available for Snow White at the Grand Opera House, Theatre Royal’s Aladdin And The Twankeys, and for for the Rowntree Players’ annual Christmas pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk, which runs from today until Saturday, December 14, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road.

Caroline Heppell, secretary of the Rowntree Players Theatre Group, said: “We were sorry to read in the paper that the Barbican have cancelled their pantomime. It is hard for us all to get the ticket sales we need to make it worthwhile and we know only too well the hard work involved in a production such as a panto.

“Although we are an amateur company, our panto certainly matches a professional company and is of an extremely high standard and one that you would not class as an amateur performance by any means.”

Tickets cost from £8 to £14, and are available from rowntreeplayers.co.uk, or by phoning 07927 026071.

The Blue Genie spokesman said ticket holders for the cancelled show must contact their point of purchase to arrange a refund.