Generous pantomime goers have given more than £5,000 to Variety The Children’s Charity via bucket collections in Ferndown and Bournemouth.

At the Barrington Theatre, Ferndown, it was the cast members who stepped out after each performance for the collections. Their Wizard of Oz run opened with a special performance for children from Bethany School that was funded by Variety. The cast included Variety Wessex favourite Krazy Kev as the Scarecrow and Lucy Rose Rollason as Dorothy. They raised £919.52 during their pre-Christmas run.

And Variety Wessex volunteers were on hand with buckets after performances at the Bournemouth Pavilion of Beauty and the Beast that starred EastEnders favourite Emma Barton as Fairy Bon Bon and comedian Noel Brodie as Louis La Plonk. The total raised there was £4,291.48, all collected during the show’s run that ended on 2 January.

The collections from both shows have now been presented to Variety The Children’s Charity. The money will be used to support disadvantaged children living in Variety Wessex area.

Frances Cornelius, chairman of Variety Wessex, said: “Thank you everyone who has donated. It was a financially difficult Christmas for a lot of families and your generosity has been incredible. It will help many disadvantaged children who live in this area. Thank you too the Pavilion and Barrington Theatre staff, pantomime cast members and Variety volunteers who have helped with the collections.”