PANTO punters queueing for tickets for their next fix of Berwick Kaler at York Theatre Royal may have been expecting to book for Robinson Crusoe, but ended up buying seats for Jack And The Beanstalk.

As is his custom, on the last night of Humpty Dumpty on January 30, dame Berwick had announced he would be writing a new pantomime version of Daniel Defoe’s novel, whose opening scene is set in York.

However, in a change of plan “in the spirit of panto and its unpredictable nature”, the Theatre Royal will instead present the tried-and-tested Jack And The Beanstalk from December 9 until January 29 next year.

In a case of “bean-there-done-that”, Berwick will be sprinkling the magic beans for the fifth time, making it the most performed pantomime of his 32-year reign. He decided to abandon Defoe’s ship after numerous debates with artistic director Damian Cruden over how much of a plot there was to Robinson Crusoe – never normally an issue for the notoriously plot-free Berwick, who managed to build a story for Humpty Dumpty around a flimsy four-line nursery rhyme about an egg falling off a wall.

Keen to explain the change of title, Berwick said: “At the time of the announcement, York was in the middle of one of its snowiest winters and thoughts of sunnier climes and sandy beaches were at the forefront of my mind.

“So naturally Robinson Crusoe was very appealing but I failed to think through the practical issues – for example the budget would not stretch to me taking a research trip to a desert island. Suddenly Crusoe wasn’t so appealing.

“That said, on the final night of Humpty I was taking antibiotics, which at my age can cause severe memory loss and I forgot the plan had changed.”

Damian Cruden, the panto’s co-director, believes Jack And The Beanstalk will give a “great base” for Berwick to create an original pantomime.

“It may be a classic title, with a stronger plot that Robinson Crusoe, but don’t forget Berwick will still be writing an all-new version, so expect the usual mayhem and madness.”

Booking in person opened yesterday at 9am yesterday, followed by internet sales at 6pm. In keeping with tradition, people began queuing from early morning, and Berwick and members of staff dressed up in panto garb to hand out tea and coffee to keep people warm while they waited for the doors to open.

Telephone booking starts today at 9am on 01904 623568.