Shoreham panto is fun extra for student Abby Quigley

Tickets for the show are available via the venue website on ropetacklecentre.co.uk.

Abby is a third-year student at Guildford’s Performance Preparation Academy – and the panto is the perfect chance to gain extra experience: “I'm in the third year and this is a scary year! We're actually in the middle of a panel day at the moment where agents come in and watch us sing! But I've loved the course and I'm really excited to get out there and graduate and get into the industry. It's been a really great three years and I just feel that I've learned so much. I would say that I have changed as a performer a huge amount. I just feel that I'm so much more confident now and I have learned so many more skills now that I just didn't have before.

“I have sung my whole life. It was just something that I always loved doing and I loved Saturday dance school. When I got to my GCSEs I decided that I wanted to go down this route and that this was something that I wanted to pursue. And I think I'm going to be ready when we graduate. I'm feeling really positive about it. I'm really prepared.

“The panto is an extra. We were given the opportunity in the summer to submit some self-tapes if panto was something we were interested in doing. I got recalled and we went to the theatre in Leatherhead where we had the recall audition.

“Drama schools break up at the beginning of December and we won't be doing any training during December so this is going to be a great way to get a first taste of panto. I think it's such a different style of performing. It's very over-exaggerated and fun but I do really love the panto tradition of families coming together and watching the show together and just all having fun together. It was on my drama school bucket list that if there was a chance I would take it. I could invite agents to the panto. I have thought about it little bit but I'm not entirely sure. But it might be an idea to get an agent to come and see the show.

“I went down in the summer to look at the venue with my mum and just have a look around and it's really lovely. I'm really excited be going to Shoreham for Christmas. I just really love coastal places and it looks like a great place. I'm from Middlesbrough originally.

“This is going to be my first professional job and I'm really excited to experience the idea of professional rehearsals in a professional environment and all the things that I learn about the standards and about the etiquette and the expectations and just to be working with professional performers. It will be my first taste of work in the industry and the first time that anybody has ever paid me to perform! And hopefully it will be the start of something really exciting for when I graduate.”