News

Panto is coming to Tenby…. Oh yes, it is!!!

Published

5 years ago

March 24, 2021

A BRAND-NEW star-studded family pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk is coming to Pembrokeshire this Christmas, starring none other than James Argent, best known as “Arg” from TOWIE (The Only Way is Essex).

Lucky audiences will boo, laugh, cheer, clap, shout “Behind You!” and sing along to the family favourite premiering at the De Valence Pavilion in Tenby this December.

Featuring a cast of professional actors and some local performers, the production will have all the usual panto trimmings, stunning scenery and costumes, spectacular song and dance routines and bags of slapstick fun. It is the perfect festive treat for all the family.

Arg, star of ITVBe reality series “The Only Way Is Essex”, will play Silly Simon in the brand-new production. He is also a regular on radio and TV, as a guest presenter on Good Morning Britain, “Celebrity Super Spa”, ITV’s “Sugar Free Farm” and Channel 4’s “The Jump”. More recently he has worked alongside Gemma Collins on her show “Diva Forever” and has also taken part in TV favourites “Celebrity Coach Trip” and “Celebs go Dating”.

“I absolutely love pantomime especially interacting with the audiences, there is nothing like a good panto to really get you into the festive season. I love Wales and can’t wait to come to Tenby for the first time” says the reality star.

Alongside Arg will be a host of incredible performers including West End leading lady Emma Norman as The Woodland Fairy. Emma brings with her a wealth of experience having worked alongside famous names such as Michael Ball and Il Divo. The panto will also star James Schouten (Tony in West Side Story and Marcello in La Bohѐme) as the evil Fleshcreep, Alan Wilson, a 2021 graduate of London Studio Centre as our hero Jack and Woodrow Young who trained at Arts Educational, London as Ensemble/Dancer.

The show’s creator and director Drew Baker added “I could not be happier to be producing the pantomime at the De Valence Pavilion. The space is amazing, and I promise the biggest pantomime the county has ever seen featuring a quality star cast, fantastic scenery and costumes, an amazing live band, and magical special effects. Jack and the Beanstalk is a wonderful story that everyone knows and loves so make sure you book your tickets nice and early to secure the best seats, this will truly be an amazing spectacle for all the people of Pembrokeshire and beyond especially after the year we have all had”.

Drew, an accomplished performer, and director will also be playing the much-loved mother of Jack and Simon, Dame Trott.

Dave Jones, General Manager of The De Valence in Tenby said “For many years the De Valence has strived to bring a varied diary of entertainment and we are so proud to be working with Drew and the team at Vision Arts to give the county another top-class show on their doorstep. This is going to be a great boost for the future development of the arts in Pembrokeshire and we are so excited to be a part of It”

The Eagle-eyed readers amongst you will notice that there is no mention of who is playing Princess Jill and that is because the decision will be yours! ‘Search for a Princess’ will launch later in the year and will see the company on a County wide hunt to find someone to play the much-loved Princess Jill. Could it be you? Keep an eye on social media channels for more information.

James Argent from TOWIE

The company will also be searching for 60 youngsters from the age of 6 – 12 to perform across the performances along with 4 local senior dancers. Auditions will take place in the summer so watch out for more info coming soon.

Local schools are being encouraged to book early for the special school panto performances available on selected dates during December, as tickets are expected to sell out quickly. In addition to fantastic group prices, and exclusive to Vision Arts productions, each school that books will be able to take advantage of a completely free Panto Workshop held at their school, a great end of term activity to look forward to!

There will be a signed and relaxed performance available along with some exclusive meet and greet opportunities. All of these will have limited availability, so please visit the website for more information.

Vision Arts will also be giving away 400 free tickets to Welsh NHS staff as a small token of thanks for the incredible work they do daily but even more so during the pandemic. The ‘NHS Free Ticket’ performances will take place on Sunday 12th, Monday 20th, Thursday 23rd and Wednesday 29th December. More information will be available on the website.

It is also a great privilege to be joined by Pure West Radio who are our official Radio Media Partners for this very first Big Pembs Panto!

Jack and the Beanstalk runs at De Valence Pavilion, Tenby from Thursday 9th to Friday 31st December.

Tickets can be booked via www.bigpembspanto.com

For fantastic group rates and the NHS Free Ticket offer contact [email protected]

Crime

Jury told to continue deliberations in historic child sex abuse trial

Published

37 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Judge says majority verdict may be accepted after jurors report deadlock at Swansea Crown Court

A JURY has been told to continue its deliberations in the trial of a Milford Haven man accused of historic child sex offences after indicating it could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Thomas Kirk, aged 50, of Meyler Crescent, Milford Haven, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of oral rape and sexual assault of a child. The offences are alleged to have taken place in Pembrokeshire between 2007 and 2009, when the complainant was aged between thirteen and fifteen.

At midday on Wednesday (Dec 18), the jury returned to court to say they were unable to reach a verdict on which all jurors agreed.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told the jury that while he would be prepared to accept a majority verdict if at least ten jurors were in agreement, he still wanted them to continue deliberations in an effort to reach a unanimous decision.

The jury was then sent back out to continue considering its verdict.

The trial continues.

Crime

Police appeal to locate 69-year-old man wanted in harassment investigation

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a man from the Ammanford area who is wanted in connection with a harassment offence.

Alan Tait, aged 69, is being sought by officers as part of an ongoing investigation.

Police believe he may currently be in the Derbyshire area, but say he also has links to South Wales and Gwent.

Anyone with information that could assist officers in locating him is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.

Charity

Bluestone Foundation marks year of impact with more than £60,000 for local causes

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE BLUESTONE FOUNDATION, the charitable arm of Bluestone National Park Resort, has marked a significant year of community investment after raising and distributing more than £60,000 to support projects across Pembrokeshire in 2025.

Run in partnership with the Pembrokeshire Association for Voluntary Services (PAVS), the Foundation has continued to expand its reach, backing a wide range of charities and community organisations working at the heart of the county.

During the year, the Foundation’s Community Fund delivered three rounds of grants, supporting projects focused on wellbeing, inclusion, creativity, and environmental protection.

Environmental organisations including BlueGreen Cymru, Greener Growth CIC and Sea Trust Wales received funding, alongside wellbeing and inclusion groups such as ASD Family Help, Get the Boys a Lift, No Shame Foundation and Silbers CIC.

Creative, youth and heritage organisations including Little Grebe Creative CIC, Pater Hall Community Trust, Milford Haven Community Society, Urdd Gobaith Cymru and VC Gallery also benefited.

In total, £32,968.57 was awarded through the Community Fund in 2025.

Fundraising events held at the Blue Lagoon Water Park generated a further £19,500 in unrestricted income. Under the Foundation’s funding model, 75 per cent of that money is passed directly to charities, with the remaining 25 per cent placed into a flexible fund to support causes that fall outside the Community Fund’s criteria.

Flexible funding totalling £4,500 was used this year to support initiatives including Sport Pembrokeshire’s Fit and Fed project, refurbishment work at Martletwy Young Farmers Club hall, Bloomfield Bus and Green Dragon Bus services, and Nacro’s Christmas appeal, providing food, warm clothing and essential items to people in crisis.

The Foundation also supported the PATCH Christmas Toy Appeal, encouraging staff and visitors at Bluestone to donate gifts for families referred to the charity during the festive period.

In addition, more than one hundred fundraising events across the region were supported through prize donations from the Foundation, including over 200 family passes to the Blue Lagoon Water Park, 32 overnight spa breaks and nine Bluestone holiday breaks.

Marten Lewis, Chair of the Bluestone Foundation said: “This year’s achievements reflect the heart of who we are at Bluestone. The Foundation exists to uplift the people and places that make Pembrokeshire such a special community.

“The impact of our partners, grant recipients and fundraising efforts in 2025 shows what is possible when we work together, and we are proud to see the difference it continues to make across the county.”

Looking ahead to 2026, the Foundation has confirmed continued support for Sport Pembrokeshire’s Fit and Fed project and will act as gold sponsor of the DPJ Foundation’s Macchu Picchu trek.

Five further Blue Lagoon fundraising events are already scheduled between February and August, supporting Local Cadets, Belles Story, Martletwy YFC Hall, Blue Horizons Coastal Adventure and Friends of Portfield School.

Tickets for those events are available via the Bluestone Foundation’s Eventbrite page.

For more information about the Bluestone Foundation, visit the Bluestone website.