THE Grand Opera House pantomime has only three days to go before Jack And The Beanstalk becomes a has-bean.

Simon Barry's production completes its run in York on Sunday, when Tonicha Jeronimo will bow out of theatre to take up a new career as she waves Fairy Peapod's wand one last time.

The former Yorkshire Television soap star is joined in the cast by her husband and fellow Emmerdale escapee Stuart Wade, who is the panto's driving force in the role of daft but occasionally canny Simple Simon.

Lynne McGranger, alias rough diamond Irene Roberts in Aussie soap Home And Away, is away from home once more this winter to perform in her sixth British panto and her second in York, her "favourite city in the UK".

After fairy duty in past shows, she has switched sides from good to evil for the first time to play the black-clad Witch Blackweed, while Paul Critchlow has travelled in the opposite direction, leaving behind villainy for the dame's role of Tilly Trott.

The Grand Opera House calendar for 2004 is filling up, with the pantomime programme outlining details of shows as far ahead as Tony Stockwell's visit on July 28.

Post-pantomime, the first show will be the York School of Dance and Drama's Alice In Wonderland on January 24, and this will be followed by the Three Scottish Tenors and Mary Oliver on January 25; Vampire Rock, The Musical, January 28; and The Chinese State Circus, January 29 to 31.

The premier musical attraction of early 2004 will be Oh! What A Night, the hit celebration of Seventies' soul music led by sharp-suited Kid Creole, of Kid Creole And The Coconuts fame, from February 9 to 14.

Rivalling him for bright colours will be Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber biblical musical that is never too far away from its next visit to York. This time the show dates are March 29 to April 3.

Among the celebrity names heading this way are children's television favourites The Chuckle Brothers, in their new show Barry Potty And His Smarter Brother Paul In The Chamber Of Horrors, February 21; comedians Bernard Manning, in Bernard Manning Is Back, on March 16, Bill Bailey, in Part Troll, May 5, and Ken Dodd, in his Happiness Show, June 6; Yorkshire writer Gervase Phinn, April 18; gun-wielding Russian Roulette illusionist Derren Brown, May 7; and singer and impressionist Joe Longthorne, May 23.

Further shows vary from Marie Jones's hit play, Stones In His Pocket, on May 4 to Rolling Stones tribute act The Counterfeit Stones on May 20.

For tickets, phone 0870 606 3595.

Updated: 09:09 Wednesday, December 31, 2003