Thursday June 19th 2025
Graham Crammond in A Christmas Carol Brunton panta 2024
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
Follow the yellow brick road to Musselburgh and Haddington for a magical, musical panto adventure for all ages, produced by The Brunton, written by Jack Nurse and Robbie Gordon (Wonder Fools) the team behind the 2024 panto success A Christmas Carol.
The Brunton specialises in producing fun and interactive pantomimes, suitable for all ages, rooted in the community. Performances this year will be at both the Corn Exchange in Haddington and Musselburgh’s Loretto Theatre.
Join Dorothy and a whole host of familiar faces on a whirlwind journey bursting with chart-topping pop hits, toe-tapping original tunes, shout-out-loud silliness and plenty of local laughs. Expect flying monkeys, fabulous frocks and more sparkle than a Tin Man’s tin foil hat! With festive fun, hilarious characters and heartwarming moments in every scene, this much-loved story gets the full panto makeover, with a few surprise twists along the way.
Starring a brilliant, professional cast led by The Brunton’s much-loved panto dame, Graham Crammond, alongside a talented chorus of local young performers – this is the ultimate festive treat for all ages.
Experienced theatre maker Bruce Strachan comes on board to direct this year’s panto. Bruce has been a director, theatre maker and acting teacher for 25 years. He has worked for a range of theatre companies including the National Theatre of Scotland, The Arches, TAG, Hull Truck and the National Youth Theatre. Bruce is Artistic Director of Nonsense Room Productions (You Choose, Shark In The Park, Hairy Maclary & Friends Show) and This is My Story Productions. Bruce is also a highly respected lecturer in Acting and Performance at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh.
Bruce commented, “I am absolutely delighted to be asked to direct the Wizard of Oz this year. I live locally in Musselburgh and my daughter is a regular with the Brunton Youth Theatre so I am very aware of what an institution the Brunton Panto is, how important it is within the community and I’m really excited to be a part of it. As a QMU staff member I know how hard the team here work on the costumes every year and I am really looking forward to working with them and the wider Brunton team to bring this brilliant and iconic story to life. I can’t wait to get started.”
A key element of a Brunton panto is the talented chorus of local young performers, whose dancing, singing and acting enhance the production. Taking part is free and is a fantastic opportunity to be involved with a professional pantomime.
One parent of a 2024 chorus member said, “She really enjoyed learning and performing the dance numbers, and we were so proud watching her on stage and seeing her grow in skills and confidence. The show itself was a joy to watch. Incredibly funny, fabulous choreography, it was lovely to see how much the kids were integrated into the whole production.”
A teacher that brought a school group to The Brunton’s 2024 pantomime, A Christmas Carol, described it as “A great performance that all the children enjoyed and plenty of jokes to keep the adults entertained too! The cast were professional, fun and had a good rapport with the audience from the offset.”
Tickets are now on sale for The Wizard of Oz, a magical panto at Corn Exchange Haddington and Loretto Theatre Musselburgh, December 2025. Visit www.thebrunton.co.uk or call 0131 653 5245. Brunton Theatre Trust, operating as The Brunton is supported by East Lothian Council and Creative Scotland.
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