AWARD-winning Wellington Pantomime Group will be hoping to make it two in a row when it launches its 2026 production ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

The group has just won the Somerset Fellowship of Drama’s (SFD) Cinderella Trophy for this year’s show ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, the highest award possible in the county.

The Wellington panto members also picked up a clutch of other awards during a SFD presentation evening held in the Batch Country House, Lympsham.

Claire Knighton and Rob Spurway were judged to have produced the best original script, while the best junior animal act award went to Dougal Gee for his performance as the goose.

Wellington’s ‘giant thundersnore’ and the ‘exploding vacuum cleaner’ took the best special effects prize, and the production was judged to have both the best theatre design and best theatre musicians.

Richard Matravers was named best male singer for ‘Silly Simon’, and Alfie Ambrose made it to the ‘promising young performers’ list.

The show also saw nominations in categories for junior chorus, properties, sound, lighting, theatre stage management, it’s behind you scene, animal act, link man, principal girl, dame, chorus, dance and choreography, musical director, and director.

A Wellington Arts Association spokesperson said: “We are so unbelievably excited to announce our 50th anniversary pantomime has won the Cinderella Trophy for best pantomime in Somerset, as well as eight other awards and countless more nominations.

“Our cast have been revelling in this news and we cannot wait to do it all again next year.

“We once again thank all those who came to support us and to all our cast and creative team for making this achievement possible.”

Now, the pantomime society is holding its ‘Sleeping Beauty’ launch in Wellington Arts Centre at 7.30 pm on June 17, with workshops on June 20 and 24, and auditions on June 17 and July 1 and 4.