Sleeping Beauty smashed box office records to become the Gatehouse Theatre’s most successful show ever.
The family pantomime ran between 5 December and 4 January with 19,452 people flocking to see the likes of CBBC legend Mark Rhodes and renowned dame David Phipps-Davis who both returned to Stafford for a third year.
The show was also the first in the theatre’s history to have taken more than £500,000 in ticket sales.
It beat the previous records set by last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk production and tops off a successful year for the Eastgate Street venue which saw more than 150,000 people pass through its doors in 2025.
General Manager Gary Stevens said: “We want to thank everyone who made Sleeping Beauty such a massive success, from the cast to the housekeeping staff and everyone in between. It’s been a real team effort and it’s fantastic to have set a new record for the theatre.
“We’d also like to thank our amazing army of volunteers who turned out for every show to make sure things ran smoothly – we couldn’t do it without them. But most of all, we’d like to thank the people who came along to see this incredible show in all weathers.
“It was great to see so many families of all ages having a traditional feel-good night out. For lots of the younger children it might have been the first time they’ve experienced the magic of the theatre and seeing the smiles on so many faces makes it all worthwhile.”
Before the show launched, the Gatehouse Theatre paid tribute to stars Mark and David by naming seats after them in the main auditorium. Other celebrities with seats named after them at the theatre include Jason Manford, Joe Pasquale and Su Pollard.
Aladdin is this year’s Gatehouse Theatre pantomime and tickets have already gone on sale. Other shows coming up this year include Netflix star Matthew Duckett playing the role of Richard III in 2026’s Stafford Shakespeare production.
The theatre is also working to turn a unit at Friary Retail Park, also in Stafford, into an exhibition, rehearsal and performance space. Read more about that project here.
