IT'S all systems go at the Lowestoft Players' Headquarters as the award-winning theatre group put the final touches to their forthcoming pantomime Beauty and the Beast.

IT'S all systems go at the Lowestoft Players' Headquarters as the award-winning theatre group put the final touches to their forthcoming pantomime Beauty and the Beast.

There are just two more weeks of rehearsals left before the whole cast, production team, wardrobe department and backstage crew move into the town's Marina Theatre to bring their latest pantomime extravaganza to life.

Beauty and the Beast is the group's 41st home grown pantomime and the Players are promising to pull out all the stops with their pantomime recipe.

There will be a host of zany comic characters, doused liberally with bright and colourful costumes, sprinkled with a dusting of choreographic genius and an assortment of dazzling special effects. Add in some spectacular scenery and lavish with a toe-tapping musical score, before finally mixing everything together to create an entrancing, traditional pantomime based on a classic fairytale.

All the essential ingredients are there with a strong comic line up featuring pantomime Dame Clarissa Clutterbuck, played by stalwart Nick Garrod, and Bobble Fixit, an apprentice inventor played by popular local entertainer John Marjoram.

The traditional battle of good versus evil will also play a major part in the storyline with the Rose Fairy, played by Deanne Dickson, summoning all of her magic to outwit the wicked sorceress Arachnia the Bad, played by Nancy Paul.

Audiences are promised plenty of laughs, boos and cheers in this post-seasonal family entertainment.

Beauty and the Beast will be showing at The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft from Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, February 1 for nine performances with matinees on both Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available from the theatre box office on 01502 533200.