Panto time with Alice in Winterland!

Pothole Productions is celebrating its debut show with 'Alice in Winterland' this December. It gives a fresh spin on classic panto, with edgy costumes and a lot of sass. Written and directed by Vanessa Galligan, she blends contemporary humour with familiar music and youthful energy – all to be seen from Friday to Sunday, December 5-7, in Drumavaddy Hall.

The audience can expect a vibrant aesthetic, and a soundtrack packed with songs that young people already love: Hits from K-Pop Demon Hunters, Katy Perry, and Ellie Goulding all feature. Vanessa’s sons - aged five and six - helped inspire some of the script’s references, reflecting the dialogues in school - creating a story that young people are “really going to relate to”, she is convinced, as well as the fact that they will be “clapping, cheering and getting on their feet”.

While there are clear references to Lewis Carroll’s original, the plot has a new twist: “We're using the Alice in Wonderland characters, but the storyline is different, however, very easy to follow.”

In this scenario, a threat looms as the Queen attempts to melt Winterland’s magic away. Chloe Scanlon is solid in the title role as Alice.

Among the other standouts is Saidhbh O’Reilly as a female Mad Hatter. “Just a wonderful energy, and played with a lot of sass,” marvels Vanessa.

Grace Seldon’s Cheshire Cat shifts loyalties and pops up unpredictably, offering playful mischief throughout. Vanessa herself unexpectedly steps into the role of the Queen of Hearts - adding performing to her already demanding roles as writer, director, and producer.

The cast of sixteen range in age from fifteen to adult and blend seasoned performers with newcomers. Galligan draws talent from across Cavan, Longford, and Meath, bringing together past Performing Arts students from Cavan Institute, young people from Youth Work Ireland, and familiar faces from years of local panto.

The backing tracks - coordinated by vocal director Gráinne McPhillips—allow rehearsals to mirror the final sound of the show; while stage manager Louise Callan ensures smooth entrances, exits, and backstage coordination. Vanessa’s husband Aaron is building a brand-new stage for the show, while sound engineer Vinny Donohoe ensures everything sounds magical.

Though Cavan Panto is on pause this year, the group has supported the new production with promotion and costumes.

The show runs an hour and a half including interval. Tickets are available on ticketstop.ie