Rapunzel takes to the waves in a Pembrokeshire twist on a classic tale

REPORTS are coming in of a multi-agency rescue operation six miles off the coast of Milford Haven — led, of course, by indomitable local hairdresser Dame Belinda Beehive.

The mission? Nothing less than saving Neyland’s head-turning stunner, Rapunzel, who this year finds herself stranded at the top of a 200-foot lighthouse rather than a tower. The Herald understands that alongside appalling sea conditions, rescuers are also contending with an unidentifiable sea monster determined to make off with their belongings.

It can only mean one thing: pantomime season has arrived at the Torch Theatre.

The Milford Haven venue’s festive production of Rapunzel, running from December 6 to December 28, promises to be one of its most ambitious and imaginative pantomimes to date.

“Yes, it’s an interesting one,” laughs writer and artistic director Chelsey Gillard, the driving force behind this year’s show. “People are starting to look for different titles and slightly more unusual fairy tales. Following on from last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk, I wanted something a bit more ‘princessy’ — but still very Pembrokeshire.”

Given the Torch’s clifftop location, Chelsey leaned straight into a maritime twist. “So instead of a tower, Rapunzel is stuck in a lighthouse somewhere off the coast of Milford Haven,” she says.

Rapunzel is played by Neyland’s Holly Mayhew, a recent graduate of Drama Studio London. Her long-lost mother — Dame Belinda Beehive — is brought to life by Lloyd Grayshon, while mischievous puffin Zephyr is played by Freya Dare. They are joined by the occasional shark, an assorted school of fish, and a host of friendly sea creatures played by members of the Torch Youth Theatre.

But while the setting may be new, Chelsey says the heart of pantomime remains firmly intact.

“It’s a slightly unusual story, but it’s still got all the essentials: a dame, slapstick routines, loads of songs, silly dances, and all the audience interaction that creates the magic of a pantomime. People’s expectations are huge — this is the main theatrical event of the year — so we have to pour everything into it.”

Chelsey admits that responsibility weighs heavily, but her love for panto keeps her motivated.

“I’ve always adored panto. As a child I’d look forward to it every year with my school or with my mum and dad. It was a huge thing for me — and I want our audiences to feel that same excitement.”

This year’s production also comes as something of a relief after Chelsey’s recent turn into darker territory with October’s gothic The Turn of the Screw.

“That was a much more serious piece,” she says. “So the thought of being silly for a few weeks is exactly what I need!”

Rehearsals are now entering their second week ahead of the first school performance on November 26. With just three weeks to pull everything together, Chelsey says she is supported by a formidable creative team, including designer Kevin Jenkins and workshop manager Sam Wordsworth.

“All the sets are built on site here at the Torch — which is really rare these days. Thanks to the team’s skill, the designs were finished back in May. A panto takes a good twelve months of planning before opening night.”

Even so, Chelsey admits to nerves during the first script read-through.

“You always wonder whether the jokes will land and if the cast will get your humour. And audiences here in Pembrokeshire are not shy about telling you what they think!”

But now that rehearsals are in full swing, she says the joy of the process has returned.

“I’m lucky to do a job I love so much. And once the show is up and running, I get to step back and enjoy what this brilliant cast has created.”

Rapunzel runs from Saturday, December 6 to Sunday, December 28.
Tickets: £24.50 | £20 concessions | £78 family.
Relaxed performance: Saturday, December 13 at 2:00pm.
BSL interpreted performance: Tuesday, December 16 at 6:00pm (interpreter: Liz May).

For full details, visit www.torchtheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01646 695267.

A POPULAR psychic and wellbeing fayre is set to return to Tenby next month, bringing a full day of readings, healing, crafts and Christmas magic to the town centre.

The event, hosted by QueenBee Events, will take place on Saturday, December 13, from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the De Valence Pavilion on Upper Frog Street.

Mind, body and soul

Organisers say the fayre is designed to offer “enlightenment for the mind, body and soul”, with a wide range of stalls and services on offer throughout the day. Visitors can expect mediumship readings, tarot readings, reiki, spiritual healing, and an assortment of local craft stalls.

A spokesperson for the event said the day aims to provide “a welcoming space for reflection, guidance and festive wellbeing” as the Christmas season approaches.

Festive fun for families

Younger visitors will also have an added attraction, with Santa’s Grotto running alongside the fayre for £2 per child. Admission to the main event costs £1.

The popular annual gathering has become a fixture of Tenby’s December calendar, drawing residents and visitors keen to explore spiritual and holistic practices.

Further information is available by emailing: [email protected].

Exclusive screening revisits one of Wales’ most remarkable police operations

A TWO-PART documentary exploring a major drugs bust that stunned a quiet Pembrokeshire seaside town will have its exclusive English-language premiere in Newport next week.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay, produced for S4C, takes viewers back to 1983, when the peace of Newport was shattered by one of the most extraordinary police investigations in Welsh criminal history.

That summer, the town became the unlikely centre of an international smuggling ring after a local fisherman, Andy Burgess, spotted something unusual at a remote beach called Pwll Coch—known locally as Seal Bay.

Soon after, authorities discovered a concealed hatch on nearby Traeth Cell Hywel. Beneath it lay a man-made underground chamber stocked with food, radio equipment and fibreglass resin — “like something straight out of James Bond.”

The mystery unfolds

As detectives began to investigate, residents reported strange activity around Newport — unfamiliar luxury cars on rural lanes, and strangers flashing £50 notes in local pubs.

What followed was a sprawling investigation that reached from Pembrokeshire to Scandinavia and the Middle East. Within days, three men — Robin Boswell, Ken Dewar, and escaped drug trafficker Sam Spanggaard — were arrested.

However, the case soon hit a snag: the drugs had disappeared. Without the contraband, the entire prosecution risked collapse. Detectives began to suspect there was a local connection — someone who knew the coastline well.

Forty years on

More than four decades later, S4C’s new documentary returns to the mystery with rare interviews, archive footage, and dramatic re-enactments.

For the first time, it includes testimony from a local man — known only as “Jim” — whose words are voiced by an actor to protect his identity. “Jim,” who once modified cars for Boswell, became unwittingly entangled in a smuggling network stretching from Pembrokeshire to Morocco and beyond.

The two episodes retrace both the discovery of the secret underground chamber and the international scope of the operation that followed.

Local resident Wendy Phillips recalled: “Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew each other’s business — that’s just how you were brought up.”

Screening in Newport

The pre-broadcast English-language screening of Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday, November 20, at Canolfan Bethlehem, Upper West Street, Newport.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with retired detectives Don Evans and John Daniels, who worked on the original case, alongside the film’s director James Hale.

Entry is free, but donations will be taken on the door to support Canolfan Bethlehem.

Cannabis Cove: Operation Seal Bay airs on S4C later this month.