Skip to content

Family travel 260 miles to watch 'best panto'

Family Handout A selfie of a male and a female with their son in the middle. They are on a balcony in a theatre. The woman has short blonde hair and is wearing glasses. The father is bald and also wearing glasses. The son in the middle has short brown hair and is wearing a dark jumper. Family Handout
The Bithrey family have been making the five-hour round-trip for the past 18 years

A woman from Bedfordshire says her family make a 260-mile round-trip every year to watch the pantomime at Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.

Elaine Bithrey from Dunstable has been making the five-hour journey with her husband and son for the past 18 years.

She said the combination of actors, Jonathan Wilkes and Christian Patterson, make the performance "the best panto in the country".

Mr Wilkes and Mr Patterson have both sent a special messages to Mrs Bithrey and her family thanking them for their continued support.

This year the duo are performing alongside Kai Owen in Dick Whittington until 5 January.

The family watched their first pantomime while visiting a friend in Stoke-on-Trent almost two decades ago and a fellow audience member encouraged them to come again the following year.

"It's part of our family tradition and it just brings people together, the people of Stoke are fantastic," Mrs Bithrey said.

"We make a day, we got to Trentham we go to Barlaston and have a meal. As soon as we get in the car we are so excited, we are like three kids on Christmas Day."

She said they now buy tickets for the following year as soon as they become available and still talk about the previous performance six months later.

"You never know what you're going to get - it's just so fun".

The top half of an orange building with a sign that reads "The Regent Theatre". The sky in the background is bright blue with a few scattered clouds.
Jonny Wilkes has starred in the pantomime at The Regent for two decades

Mr Wilkes' message to the family said: "First of all you've got very good taste".

He went on to invite them to meet him at a future performance.

"Next year make sure you let me know and we'll do a big hug at the stage door."

Mr Patterson, who returned from Chicago to perform in the annual show, added: "Night after night we put our heart into it, when we heard about you we were genuinely really moved."

"I am so so happy that we make you and your family smile and laugh and are a small part of your Christmas."

Ms Bithrey said the messages from the pair "made my day".

"The two of them together are just pure magic," she added.

The family have already attended the pantomime once this year and plan to go again in January.

Ms Bithrey added: "We have seen other pantos but the one in Stoke always comes out on top."

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links