THE pantomime season in the area offers theatregoers a choice between Peter Pan at Darlington Civic Theatre and a student production at Stockton Arc, Cinderella at the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, and Jack and the Beanstalk at Middlesbrough Theatre.

Darlington's panto opens on December 9 and runs to January 23, with Cannon and Ball heading the cast and Lee Brennan from boyband 911 in the title role.

Ticket prices range from £9.50 to £16.50 with concessions and discount for groups. Call the box office on 01325 486555.

Eileen Pollock, who played Lilo Lil in Bread and Bella Emberg, from The Russ Abbot Show, oppose each other as Sycorax the Witch and as Fairy Thistledown in Middlesbrough's Jack and the Beanstalk, with the popular Matthew Davies returning to the theatre as Dame Dottie Durden.

The show runs from December 9-January 9; tickets are £10/£9 concessions, with discounts for parties, from 01642 815181.

Stockton's Peter Pan is produced by students of the school of performing arts at the Riverside College in conjunction with Arc, and follows the success of last year's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

It runs from December 7-21, with morning, afternoon and evening performances available. Tickets are £6 for adults, £4 for children and can be booked on 01642 525199.

The Never Never Land theme was used as the basis for art work by 13- to 14-year-old students at Egglescliffe Comprehensive School as part of their GCSE course. it includes poetry, music, film and digital art and will be shown in December at the Arc gallery.

The Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, will stage Cinderella, in a show by PMA Productions making its first visit to the theatre. Professional actors include Helen Power as Cinderella, Arnie Breen as Anastasia, Terry Ashe as Grizabelle, Melody Fielding as the Fairy Godmother, Ben Watson as Buttons and Charlotte Milchard as Dandini. The Karen Heritage Dance School from Stockton will also feature after beating off competition in auditions.

The dates are Sunday, December 19, to Friday, December 31, at 2.30 and 7.30 daily; contact the box office on 01748 825252.

In addition, there are Mother Goose at Harrogate Theatre, which opens today and runs to January 8 (01423 502116), and choice of two productions of Snow White, at Billingham Forum, starring Stu Francis, from December 9 to January 9 (01642 552663), and at the Gala Theatre in Durham (0191 3324041) from December 4 to January 5.