St. Helens Theatre Royal has earned two nominations in the 2025 UK Panto Awards.
Regal Entertainment Ltd.’s performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been recognised in annual panto honours, whilst director and St. Helen’s theatre manager, Chantelle Nolan is nominated for Best Direction and sound technician Conrad Kemp is shortlisted for the title of Best Sound.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the theatre’s most successful show to date, with more than 37,000 theatregoers watching the performance over Christmas.
The cast was host to well-known names such as Coronation Street’s Emrhys Cooper and pop star Maureen Nolan.
Chantelle Nolan, panto director and theatre manager, spoke of the intensive planning directing a pantomime takes as well as the recognition of the nomination.
She said: “It’s a never-ending task, but it’s a task that I absolutely love. Directing and producing is such a rewarding progress. When you see the show on the stage it’s such a pinch me moment.
“The UK Pantomime Awards offer important industry recognition, and after Snow White was such a success, to win this national award on behalf of the production would be the icing on the cake”.
There are 22 categories in this year’s awards, with 52 judges who will be visiting 216 venues and watching almost 500 performances to choose the winners from the successful shortlisted nominees.
The UK Pantomime Association was founded in 2021 to recognise and celebrate the genre’s rich past, whilst ensuring performances engage with contemporary practices to inspire the future generations of pantomime.
Ms Nolan said: “It’s often said that pantomime is sometimes the first time a child enters a theatre and grasps the love of theatre.
“It grabs their attention and something that can grab a young child’s attention for two hours, especially now when everything is so quick online, it’s phenomenal that live theatre and pantomime can do that for children”.
The winners of the awards will be announced at an awards night at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking this April.
