KEIGHLEY Amateurs regulars will spot several new faces amongst the line-up for this year’s pantomime.

Jack And The Beanstalk features a host of principals either new to the society, more experienced in musicals, or recruited from the Amateurs chorus.

They will join the veterans on stage at Victoria Hall in the all singing, all dancing, mostly laughing, show from January 28 to February 4.

Mark Coulthard has for many years been a leading light at Harden Players – who also perform pantos – but this year takes his first principal role in Keighley as Squire Grabbem.

Georgia Wowk has stepped up to the panto title role of Jack after her impressive debut as one of the Pink Ladies in the recent Keighley Amateurs production of Grease.

Another popular performer from Grease, the musical’s comedy star Leah Ogrizovic, will play Fairy Starlight, a fairy with a difference.

Josh Breeze, who steps into the role of Dame, is familiar to Keighley Playhouse audiences – most recently in Little Women – but he has also played roles with Keighley Amateurs.

Up and coming young performers Elliot Green and Danny Duckworth will play the comedy duo.

Also returning are Stephanie Laycock as Jack’s love interest Sue and Phil Smith as comedy sidekick Jimmy.

Jack and The Beanstalk will be given eight performances at Victoria Hall in Keighley between January 28 and February 4, including four weekend matinees.

Amateurs spokesman David Brett said: “The panto written by Keith Marsden and Geoffrey Rundle will have the usual fun-filled formula that has delighted Keighley audiences for many years.

“Along with the cast of adult principals there is an all age ensemble, and a delightful kiddies chorus. Audiences can expect a show that will appeal to all age groups.”

Regular co-directors Peter Whitley and Judith Chapman are joined by new musical director Geoff Garrett.

The panto tells how young Jack is sent to take his mother’s cow to market to raise some much-needed cash.

Instead he swaps the cow for magic beans, which grow into a beanstalk, allowing Jack to climb to the cloud kingdom of a giant.

Jack and the Beanstalk is an English fairy tale which is said to have first appeared as The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean in 1734.

Over the next two centuries the story was repeatedly written and published, with Joseph Jacobs’s 1890 version in the book English Fairy Tales forming the basis of the story people know today.

But according to researchers in Durham and Lisbon, the story actually originated more than 5,000 years ago as The Boy Who Stole Ogre's Treasure.

There are four matinee performances of Jack And The Beanstalk: Saturday, January 28 at 1pm and 5pm, Sunday January 29 at 2.15pm and Saturday February 4 at 2.15pm.

There will be performances on the Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and the last Saturday at 7.15pm.

Tickets are available by visiting keighleyamateurs.com, calling 08456 252550 or from the Copy Shop in High Street, Keighley.