You SHALL go to the panto, children!

Published: 7 November 2019
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Maxie Peters (Ugly Sister), Tino Wilson-Ford (Manager, Premier Transport) and Emily Swan (Cinderella) Credit: Highlights PR

A Tyneside based coach operator, Premier Transport from Wallsend, is sponsoring a North East pantomime to ensure that schoolchildren from all over the region will go to the ball. The company will transport—free of charge—more than 9,000 children from North East schools to the Geordie Panto Company’s production of Cinderella at the Gateshead International Stadium.

Tino Wilson-Ford, Manager of Premier Transport which is celebrating its twentieth year as one of the region’s largest independent bus companies with more than 60 vehicles ranging from minibuses to luxury coaches, said he was delighted once again to offer the services of his transport fleet to the panto.

He added, “Christmas is a magical time of the year and it’s all about the kids. Seeing their smiling faces as they get back on the bus after hours of laughing out loud is really heart-warming. The teachers love us too as everything is so well organised from the pick up at the school gates to the doors of the Stadium and return. We love working with the children and we’re glad to support the Geordie Panto Company once again.”

“We all know that Cinders will arrive in style at the ball in her horse-drawn carriage,” said Panto Producer, Eric Armstrong, "but more importantly each of our 9,000 school children this year will arrive and leave the panto in safely and in comfort.

“The free travel offer is being taken up by schools right across our region from Berwick to Sunderland and everywhere in between and already some schools have booked up for next year’s panto so that they don’t miss out. We’ve a few available dates left for this year but places are going quickly.

“Like Cinderella’s shoe, Premier Transport are a perfect fit for us and we’re very grateful for their support.”

Cinderella runs at Gateshead International Stadium 6–29 December and stars Emily Swan (Cinderella), Jamie Brown (Prince Charming), Lewis Jobson (Buttons), Finbar Healy and Maxie Peter (Ugly Sisters), Bob Stott (Baron Hardup), Jacob Anderton (Dandini). Angela Chard (Fairy Godmother), and Sherrie McKale and Dan Constanzo (dancers).

*Some links, including Amazon, Stageplays.com, ATG Tickets, LOVEtheatre, BTG Tickets, Ticketmaster, The Ticket Factory, LW Theatres and QuayTickets, are affiliate links for which BTG may earn a small fee at no extra cost to the purchaser.

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