A CULLINGWORTH dance and drama school is again providing children for the Sunbeams troupe in the Bradford Alhambra pantomime.

Twenty girls from the Sara Packham Theatre School make up the two performing teams and a standby quartet of 'swings' for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, performing alongside comedians Billy Pearce and Paul Chuckle and Steps pop singer Faye Tozer.

The Sunbeams have been a staple of the Alhambra pantomime since 1914, and for 16 years have been provided by Sara. Children from the Theatre School also regularly take part in professional musicals at the region's theatres, and go on to leading ballet or theatre schools.

Sarah said 2019, had been an exciting year for school, with exam results well above the national average and many students going into full-time dance training. Aurelia Ingleson Laur, one of this season's Sunbeams, played Young Cosette last year in Les Miserables at the Alhambra.

Sara said: "Lexie Meehan, who has been a Sunbeam for many years, won one of only 10 places in the the junior finals of the British Grand Prix. Now studying at Tring Park, she has been appearing with English National Ballet's The Nutcracker this Christmas.

"Former Sunbeam Joe Dearden furthered his training at Renaissance Arts and has been appearing in pantomime in Blackburn over the Christmas season."

The Sunbeams are: red team, dance captain Maisie Lotus, Belle Baglio, Emily Daniels, Poppy Houldsworth, Aurelia Ingleson Laur, Kitty Loftus, Nicole Loftus, and Lilly-May Stead; green team, Phoebe Barwick, Summer Bell, Annabel Fikkert, Erin Mageean, Kitty Moore, Beatrice Rayner, Azaria Sharp and Sophie Tole; swings, Agatha Brundle, Ava Harris, Lottie Tole and Brooke Watt.

* Snow White runs until January 25. Visit bradford-theatres.co.uk or call 01274 432000 to book tickets.