PANTO fans are snapping up tickets for Berwick Kaler’s 40th York Theatre Royal Christmas show - despite the icy and snowy weather.

Last week’s bad weather failed to deter the faithful when tickets went on sale for The Grand Old Dame of York with 7,729 tickets bought on March 1 – 1,513 more than first day sales for Jack and the Beanstalk last year.

The box office bonanza has continued and, a week later, ticket sales remain ahead of last year with more than 11,000 tickets bought for a show that doesn’t open until December.

Diehard panto fans began queueing the afternoon before tickets went on sale and were accommodated overnight in the adjoining De Grey Rooms.

Next morning the crowd, which had grown to more than 100 people, was brought in from the cold to wait to buy tickets inside with the queue snaking around the theatre foyer well into the afternoon as more and more arrived to buy tickets. Extra box office staff were drafted in to cope with demand.