A spell will be cast upon St Ives for a wickedly funny winter pantomime.

The classic tale of Sleeping Beauty will be performed by the Centre Theatre Players at the Burgess Hall from January 13-18, giving families the chance to see out the Christmas period in style.

Matinee performances have now completely sold out, but there are still tickets available for evening performances.

Sit back and watch the traditional fairytale unfold as the baby princess is cursed by an evil fairy at her christening. As a result, she will be fated to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. However, as the classic verion of the story goes, a good fairy godmother who hadn’t yet used her enchantment tries to revoke the spell. Despite this, it is so powerful that she can only alter the curse’s proviso - she will instead fall into a deep sleep for 100 years and be awoken by a kiss from a prince.

However, don’t expect the play to be totally faithful to the original - the group promise all the familiar elements with some very novel and exciting additions.

Written by David Swan and directed by Graeme Hammond, it boasts spectacular aesthestics, humour, some fabulous production routines and of course plenty of audience participation.

The title role of Beauty will be played by Emily Dowd, making her third appearance for the group, supported by Graham Lloyd as the Nurse, Nick Thompson as Oddjob, Vicky Grant as the wicked witch Olga Pong and Simon Webb as Gormless.

The Centre Theatre Players has a fine reputation for its pantomime productions, winning the NODA award for the best pantomime in the district five times in the last six years.

Enjoy a seasonal show bound to keep all the family entertained until the curtain call.

INFORMATION: Evening shows will start at 7.30pm, and will be staged from Tuesday to Saturday. Tickets cost £8 each Tuesday to Thursday, and £11 on Friday and Saturday. To book, drop in to the Burgess Hall, call 01480 388500, or visit www.burgesshall.net. For more about the group, go to www.centreplayers.co.uk.