YORK Theatre Royal’s next pantomime will be Jack And The Beanstalk in a run from December 14 to February 3 starring dame Berwick Kaler in his 39th show.

In keeping with tradition, dame Berwick made the announcement on the closing night of Cinderella last Saturday at the finale to the first panto at the St Leonard Place theatre since its £6 million redevelopment. Audiences figures are yet to be confirmed but the Theatre Royal reports “an incredibly successful run”.

Looking forward to his sixth Jack And The Beanstalk, Berwick, the show’s 70-year-old writer and co-director, said: “It’s a a traditional title with all the freedom and scope to turn it into the funniest version ever inflicted on an audience in search of a plot!”

Britain’s longest-serving dame will be back on dame duty after playing Ugly Sister Hernia opposite A J Powell’s Ugly Sister Priscilla in Cinderella, while his long-time stooge, Martin Barrass, will return to the panto company for 2017-2018, having been forced to miss this winter’s show following his life-threatening motorcycle accident.

After months of recuperation, Martin is now in rehearsal for the Hull Truck Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company world premiere of Richard Bean’s English Civil War play, The Hypocrite, in his home city of Hull from February 24 to March 25 with an RSC run to follow.

Martin will be appearing in Bean’s riotous comedy alongside York actor Mark Addy, and all the Hull performances have sold out already for one of the cornerstones of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture.

York Theatre Royal last staged Jack And The Beanstalk in 2010-2011 when Berwick’s dame revelled in the name of Mrs Hazel Nutt.

Tickets for next winter’s production go on sale in person only from the Theatre Royal box office on Wednesday, March 1.

General sales will follow on 01904 623568 or by visiting yorktheatreroyal.co.uk