CHRISTMAS may be behind you but panto season certainly isn't!

The decorations are down but you can carry on brightening up those dull winter evenings with some New Year cheer in the form of Evesham's main annual pantomime, which begins at the Arts Centre next week.

The town's Phoenix Theatre Group is putting the finishing touches to Mother Goose, which runs from Wednesday next week to Sunday, January 23.

A cast of 40 will be singing, dancing, clowning and getting stuck in to all the traditional elements which make pantomime such a great night out.

Director Jenny Perkins said: "This is an annual event for us and we always try to make it bigger and better with special effects etc. We always like to give our younger members the opportunity of performing and this year several of the main parts are being played by some of these youngsters, so there are some new faces along with some of the usual ones."

A life-sized goose and a young chorus of about 30 this promise to make it an "eggstravaganza" of a show with plenty of fun and laughs for all the family.

The story of Mother Goose sees the game old dame, played by Nick Rose, agreeing to part with her magic goose in exchange for regaining her youthful looks.

Things go wrong, however, and she regrets her decision and sets out with her son, Colin (Helen Sutton) and his girlfriend, Jill (Rachel Vernon), to rescue the goose from the wicked squire (Keith Norledge).

Tickets are available from the Travel Centre in Port Street, Evesham, and cost £6 each for shows on Wednesday and Thursday and £7 for the weekend performances. They will also be available on the door at Evesham Arts Centre, next to Prince Henry's High School.