THE curtain will not be going up on a Christmas pantomime in a North-East town for the first time in 18 years.

After months of trying to find a venue to stage its production of Mother Goose, the Glenholme Theatre Club, in Crook, County Durham, has finally had to call it a day.

The club presented pantomimes to audiences of thousands at the town's Elite Hall over the years, but it was closed at the end of March in a series of financial cutbacks by Wear Valley District Council.

Since then, the club, which described the closure as a body blow, has been searching for a new venue in and around Crook.

Pantomime director and long-serving club member Bernard Lally said: "We possibly could have put it on in another area, but this would have been particularly difficult, especially with ticket sales.

"The sad thing is that we are already well into rehearsals and we have built scenery for the show."

Mr Lally said the theatre club's 30 members would not be be disbanding.

"We will try to produce a play next year as soon as possible to keep the group together," he said.

"We cannot allow years of experience and expertise simply to evaporate.

"We are devastated at not being able to stage our panto this year and we apologise to the hundreds of children who were looking forward to the show. After all, they are the real losers."

Published: 08/11/2004