Festive spirit at Scarborough Market

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Scarborough Market Hall The sounds of the festive season will be ringing out in Scarborough’s Market Hall with performances from Friarage School and the YMCA over two consecutive days.

The Old Town school’s choir will be entertaining shoppers with Christmas songs from 11am on Friday (16 December), before the YMCA Twilight Choir takes centre stage on Saturday (17 December) from 10am to 1.30pm.

The YMCA choir will be performing festive-themed pop songs and carols alongside characters from the YMCA pantomime, Peter Pan, which is being staged in the St Thomas Street venue from Boxing Day, through until 7 January.

Scarborough Market Hall and Vaults manager Terry Cullen said: “It’s an absolute delight to be able to welcome youngsters from Friarage School and the YMCA to the market and I hope shoppers come along on both days to support them, as well as Scarborough’s local market.

“It’s a chance for people to get into the festive mood and pick up a few special gifts at the same time from the array of brilliant independent traders we have here. And with Christmas Day now just over a week away, it’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas dinner and what you’ll be eating – we have some fantastic butchers and greengrocers who can cater for pretty much all tastes and at a cost which is friendly to the family budget.”

Scarborough Market has seen its share of Christmases over the years. The building in St Helen’s Square was first opened in 1853 after the clearance of the Old Shambles and cost around £16,000. It was designed by John Irvin, the borough surveyor and was constructed in the Tuscan style with a Whitby stone facade.

The Market Vaults, home to some of the town’s more unique businesses, are a relatively new feature, having opened in 1993.

There are currently some 40 traders operating within the Market Hall and Vaults.

Notes about Peter Pan at the YMCA

To celebrate 100 years of JM Barrie’s most famous character, YMCA Productions proudly present Peter Pan as their annual pantomime. Director Kerry Nicholson assisted by her husband David, have selected John Morley's adaption of the classic tale, as he faithfully sticks to the original story and characters so audiences see a recreation of the much loved book, yet still get plenty of traditional panto humour and local references.

A cast of thirty will play the characters and chorus consisting of pirates, Indian braves, lost boys and of course a hungry crocodile! There’s non-stop action all the way and the audience’s help will be needed in shouting Indian war-chants, joining in lost boys songs and of course booing, cheering and warning Peter when the villains are behind him!

Polly Aconley (who played Snow White last year) will take the title role of Peter, the boy who never grew up. Assisted by the mischievous fairy Tinkerbell, played by Rebecca Wainwright, and his Red Indian friends Tiger Lily played by Niamh Larkin and the comical Laughing water, played by Courtney Campbell.

Peter brings John, Michael and Wendy to Neverland hoping to give the lost boys a mother they never had in Wendy, played by Chelsea Cooke. But of course their plans are interrupted by the villainous pirates as the bungling Smee (Chloe Springall) and Starkey (Graham Thirkhill) follow the instructions of their revenge seeking leader, Captain Hook, played by David Nicholson in his first onstage role in panto for ten years!

Peter Pan the panto offers guaranteed fun, song and laughter for all the family and starts Boxing Day, so dig out your fairy dust, shout ‘I do believe in fairies!’ and fly down to the YMCA Theatre, you won’t be disappointed!