The Peel Pantoloons are returning to action this Christmas with a new production of Alice in Wonderland.

Inspired by Tim Burton’s 2010 film adaptation, the panto will follow Alice Kingsleigh (portrayed by Ellie Reynolds), a 19-year-old who accidentally falls down a rabbit hole and into ‘Wonderland’, where she will help restore the White Queen to her throne by fighting against the Red Queen and her Jabberwocky, a dragon that terrorizes Wonderland's inhabitants.

The Mad Hatter is set to be played by Felipe Ceotto, the White Rabbit by Victoria Reynolds, Cheshire Cat by Mary Robertshaw, the Knave of Hearts by Kayleigh Smart, the Duchess by Sam Bridson, Tweedle Dum by Andy Whitmore and Tweedle Dee by Laurance Watterson.

The production team includes Lisa Mellor as director, Vicky Beavis as stage manager, Lisa Mellor, Michelle Cain and Kayleigh Smart as the choreography team and Victoria Reynolds as artistic director.

Rehearsals for the show began in September, and have been ongoing three times a week since.

Lisa Mellor, director of the production and chairlady of Peel Pantoloons, said: ‘We chose Alice in Wonderland this year as we have never done this production before and we wanted to do something new but also well known. My vision for this show has been based on the Tim Burton film from 2010.

‘The whole cast has made the job of director amazing and I’ve enjoyed every moment I have had with them all. The principals have picked up their lines really well and we have had our scripts down since the start of November.

‘Rehearsals have been so much fun, with lots of laughter, and it’s been incredible to be a part of. The hard work from everyone involved has been a pleasure to watch. The kids and teens have done a fantastic job at learning the dances and knowing when they need to be on stage.’

Held at the Peel Centenary Centre, there is set to be six showings of the production. The first will be on December 1 at 2pm, followed by 7:30pm showings on December 4, December 5 and December 6.

The final two performances will be held on December 7 at 2pm and 7pm, with each show lasting approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes (including the interval).

Lisa added: ‘As you can imagine, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to put the show together year in year out. The committee work all year round and there is never a month that we don’t think about the Christmas panto.

‘We have an amazing group who all pitch in when needed to make sure everything is ready to go for show week.

‘The audience can expect an entertaining evening/afternoon out with a few twists and turns down the rabbit hole. We are so excited for the audience to see a colourful show full of jokes, songs, dances and much more.’

If you’re interested in purchasing tickets (which are priced at £10 each), you can visit either the Celtic Gold shop in Peel or online at www.etickets.im/cc/