If you went down to Jubilee Square in Woking recently, you may have had a big surprise.

Woking Theatre launched this year’s pantomime, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and the cast headed into town to tell everybody about the show, which takes on a circus theme this year.

Bemused shoppers and workers sitting in the town centre sunshine were greeted by the sight of acrobats and stilt walkers.

Brian Conley, as ringmaster Billy Barnham, was joined by his daughter Lucy, who is playing Goldilocks, David Robbins, who plays Dame Betty Barnham, and David Milner as the Evil Ringmaster.

Of course, the three bears were there, but it was a case of three becoming four as they were joined by Sam Beare from Woking and Sam Beare Hospice, the theatre’s charity of the year.

This year’s panto looks set to be a spectacle, with a set from the London Palladium featuring 7,000 LED light bulbs. The story is set against the backdrop of the circus, with the good circus and the evil circus battling it out, and Billy Barnham on a quest to save Goldilocks.

There was a press conference in the theatre afterwards, where we got to ask the stars questions. Brian and Lucy were talking about appearing on Celebrity Hunted, which is airing on Channel 4.

We are looking forward to welcoming the cast of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to Woking Theatre this Christmas. This is the third time Woking has put on a production of Goldilocks, the last being in 1999 with Frank Bruno and Sooty, and before that in 1994 with Russ Abbot and Wolf from Gladiators.

Looking at the stars who have come to Woking to star in panto over the years, from the first panto, Cinderella, in 1992 with Des O’Connor, we have also had the likes of Melinda Messenger, who has been to Woking twice in productions of Cinderella and Aladdin.

Then, in the 1990s, there was a tradition of Australian soap stars treading the boards in panto. Ray Meagher, who played Alf in Home and Away, came to Woking in Aladdin in 1993, and in 2001 we had Vanessa Feltz in another production of Aladdin.

Then, in 2009, Michael Aspel and Joanna Page from Gavin & Stacey were in Cinderella, which also starred Jon Lee from S Club.

It’s fascinating seeing people coming together in panto who may not normally get to work together.

This year’s pantomime runs from 3 December to 5 January, and you can get your tickets at www.atgtickets.com/woking.

I would also like to wish Sam Miller from Woking Theatre all the best as he moves on to pastures new. He has worked at the theatre for the last three years as Communications Manager and has helped set up countless interviews for me over that time, which is much appreciated.

You can listen to my shows on Radio Woking every Sunday from 9am until noon, and on Wednesdays from 7am to 9am. Tune in via www.radiowoking.co.uk, on DAB Digital Radio, or ask your smart speaker to “Play Radio Woking”.

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