Nearly 200 excited children aged seven to nine from Bethany School in Boscombe followed the Yellow Brick Road to Ferndown’s Barrington Theatre to see The Wizard Of Oz. This Christmas pantomime adventure was organised by the Wessex branch of Variety The Children’s Charity.

The Wizard of Oz runs until Saturday 24 December at the Barrington Theatre and after each performance there will be a bucket collection for the charity.

Frances Cornelius, chairman of Variety Wessex, said: “Thank you everyone who contributed to this fantastic theatre visit. The children had an amazing experience. So many people’s Christmas traditions include a pantomime or Christmas show but this is far too costly for many families now. Thank you Shan and the Bournemouth Boys Club for funding for children who would otherwise miss out on an experience like this. Thank you too Laguna Coaches for always taking our children safely to events and back to school, Judy, Lorraine and Jenny for being there to represent Variety and make sure everything runs smoothly. But the biggest thank you must be for the cast and production team who have put together such an amazing show. It is absolutely fantastic.”

Elisabeth Rawson Jones pastoral lead at Bethany said: “What a fantastic experience for our children. All the cast were amazing. Thank you Frances and Variety for funding this wonderful opportunity – we are so grateful that through 2022 you have organised so many wonderful days for our children. It really does make a huge difference, giving them memories to treasure. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. A Merry Christmas to you and everybody at Variety Wessex.”

For more information about Variety Wessex, contact Frances Cornelius on francesaaa@aol.com