THE annual pantomime at Newbridge Memorial Hall is to be resurrected - after almost two decades.

The Christmas panto was last performed at the Memo 18 years ago.

But this year, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves will once again be pulling the crowds back to the dance hall for the traditional festive entertainment.

Director June Watkins, who also wrote the script, says that rehearsals are already underway - and more than 100 tickets have been sold.

The panto will be performed on December 2, 3 and 4, at 7.30pm - with a matinee performance at 2pm on December 4.

Proceeds from the tickets will be going to the restoration fund to bring the Memo's dance hall and cinema back to their former splendour.

The hall recently narrowly lost out on a £3 million prize in BBC2's Restoration programme in a campaign backed by the Argus.

Mrs Watkins, who lives in Abercarn, says that while the Memo was involved in the competition, somebody mentioned the old pantos.

"Someone said why don't we do another one - and I had spent the previous summer writing a pantomime.

"I had just finished a degree in script writing and was I was bored after university and was writing it for the fun of it really," she says.

"But now a cast of more than 20 people has been chosen and rehearsals are being held twice a week.

"The youngest dwarf is 12 and the oldest is 78!" says Mrs Watkins.

A local sewing group is attending the rehearsals and the members are measuring the cast and making costumes while they get ready for the show.

Trisha Hickman, from Pentywnmawr, is choreographing for the panto while Michelle Cripps is the pianist and the art department at Coleg Gwent's campus in Crosskeys is painting the backdrops and providing some of the props.

Mrs Watkins, who along with her sister Sue Suter took part in the past pantos at the Memo, says it is a real team effort, with mostly local people taking part but others coming from Black-wood and Caerphilly.

* Tickets, at £4 and £3 for concessions, available from the Memo on 01495 243252.