Curtain comes down on Snow White at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds after successful seven-week run

After a successful run lasting more than seven weeks, the curtain has come down on pantomime season at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds – helping to secure its short-term financial future.

Snow White had its last performance at the Westgate Street theatre on Sunday, having welcomed more than 25,695 people over 83 shows.

Owen Calvert-Lyons, the theatre’s artistic director, said: “For regional theatres to be financially stable enough to be there for future generations, pantomime tops up the bank account to enable their survival for another year.

“To put that into perspective, at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, the income from this annual festive favourite will cover around one quarter of the total salaries and overheads for the year.

“So, in short, without pantomime there is no Theatre Royal.”

Snow White vital statistics:

- 2,510 ice creams were sold, with the top-selling flavours being chocolate, salted caramel and strawberry

- 1,743 costume changes – ‘Dusty Crevice’, played by Craig Painting, had the most changes per show at six, totalling 415 costume changes

- 164 confetti cannons were fired

- 43 schools visited and 4,943 school tickets were sold

- 1,218 programmes were sold

- And volunteer stewards covered 581 shifts

Owen added: “Pantomime is often the first experience a child may have of theatre – whether this be visiting with their school or with family.

“Studies have proven that young people who visit theatres as children are more likely to continue booking tickets and seeing shows throughout their lives. That is the power a pantomime has over its youngest audience members.”

Thanks to funding from Job Centre Plus the theatre issued 69 tickets to families in receipt of Universal Credit. Funding from Bury St Edmunds Round Table meant it could give eight tickets to a local children’s home.

Meanwhile, other groups to enjoy the show included: The Boys Brigade and Girls Association; GeeWizz; Nicky’s Way (St Nicholas Hospice Care); Stowmarket Police Cadets; Suffolk Family Carers; Bury District Scouts and 14th Bury Brownies.

Tickets are on sale for 2024/25 pantomime Aladdin.