DRAMA groups across the country are dusting off their glass slippers, pumpkins and beanstalks and practising their lines as the traditional English pantomime makes its seasonal return to France.

Most of the big shows are in the south-west, where a number of Franco-English theatre troupes are putting on specially tailored performances for an international audience.

“Panto is a great way to unite the languages in a truly English spectacle,” says Lu Mills, from the 60-strong Troupe d’Acteurs du Quercy in the Tarn-et-Garonne.

“Whatever language is used, panto remains understandable because of the action involved. It is a great way of banishing the January blues.”

The troupe have done an annual panto in Montaigu-de-Quercy on the border of Aquitaine and the Midi-Pyrénées for seven years, and this year they will be returning to their first performance, a bilingual version of Cinderella written by one of the members with specially tailor-made music and songs.

“This production promises to be our best panto yet,” says Lu. “We are fortunate to have many new members including more junior members and more native French speakers.

“We have great talent designing our sets and costumes, a retired stage school music teacher putting us through our vocal paces and a dancer putting us through our choreography paces.”

The performances take place on January 29 at 20.00 and January 30 at 14.30 and 20.00. The group has also invited 200 local school children to a free performance on the first afternoon.

Evening performances are €11 for adults and €6 for children, with the matinee performance at €6 for adults and €3 for the young.

For tickets, contact Colynne Lee on 05 63 95 79 32 or email colynne.lee@wanadoo.fr

The Secret Panto Company have picked traditional favourite Peter Pan for this year’s show at the Théâtre Musical de Pibrac on the outskirts of Toulouse in January.

The group has put on a pantomime every year since 1984, and several of the founding members are still treading the boards, building scenery, making costumes and working backstage.

There are a mix of matinee and evening performances on January 23, 24, 27, 29 and 30, priced at €16 for adults and €8 for children. See www.secretpantosociety.com

Finally, if the traditional Aladdins, Dick Whittingtons or Snow Whites are not your thing, a theatre group in the Charente-Maritime is promising something a little different – panto with a Western twist.

The Jonzac Players say they used to have respectable jobs in education, the police force and the civil service before retiring to France and dressing up as cowboys, Indians and saloon girls.

Panto At The OK Corral promises to be an action-packed adventure for all the family, with performances on December 18, 19, 20 at the theatre in the Château de Jonzac. For details, see www.jonzacplayers.com or call 05 46 96 44 80.