IS it panto season again? Oh yes it is!

Last night (Wednesday) kicked off Cowdenbeath Community Theatre's return to the stage at Lochgelly Centre with their 2022 show, Rapunzel.

The run comes to an end on Saturday, so there's still time to grab a ticket and have a great night.

Having performed an old favourite, Aladdin and his Wonderful Map, with a relatively small cast of existing members 12 months ago, this year marks the first production following the pandemic that the company have been able to return fully to normality.

New members have been welcomed to be part of the show, whilst some of the CCT's existing teenage cast are being introduced to principal roles, to tell the story of Rapunzel.

Originating in 1698 as a French literary fairy tale, it was picked up and developed into a German fairy story by the Brothers Grimm, which they published in 1812.

The CCT production is, however, much newer, having been written by Tony Bradford and Tina Webster, and published by NODA pantomimes, and will be the first time that they have performed it.

Audiences will see Rapunzel stolen away from her parents as a tiny new-born baby by the evil Witch Gothel, and has been locked up in a tall tower in the forest for the past 16 years. But is her life about to change for the better? Enter a Royal Family, a banished Prince, the wicked witch, a fairy, an over-the-top hairdresser, and a pair of village idiots amongst others and you've got a recipe for a fun-packed pantomime for all the family.

Lynsey Combe, the show's director, said: "It has been a privilege working with all the cast, watching them develop their characters whilst having a lot of fun, and I hope that everyone watching the show has as much fun as we have had!"

CCT, who next year will perform Cinderella - the first pantomime they ever performed - to mark their 20th anniversary, had originally intended to perform Rapunzel in December 2020, but had to cancel due to COVID-19, although they did produce a mini version, using an original script written by the company's choreographer, Melissa Davidson, which they filmed whilst adhering to Government restrictions in place at the time before releasing it as a video on social media.

Tickets for the performance, which takes place nightly at 7.30pm from Wednesday evening until Saturday, as well as at 2.15pm for a matinee performance on the final day of its run, have also been distributed to local foodbanks in the Cowden-Gelly area.

Tickets are on-sale in person from all OnFife box offices (no booking fee) or online at www.onfife.com/event/pantomime-rapunzel-1718/ (where a booking fee applies), and they are priced at £14 for adults and £12 for concessions, with group discounts also available.