TICKETS are selling fast for both York pantomimes in the lead-up to Christmas and the New Year.

Already, 38,000 seats have been bought for Dick Whittington, featuring Berwick Kaler in his 22nd year as the dame at York Theatre Royal, while bookings are progressing well for Cinderella, starring former Emmerdale soap couple Stuart Wade and Tonicha Jeronimo and Gladiator Ace at the Grand Opera House.

For the Theatre Royal show, which opened on Tuesday, seats are available in the upper circle and gallery for shows next Monday to Friday. "The week between Christmas and the New Year is exceptionally busy, but there are nice seats still on sale for the rest of the run from the New Year," says marketing officer Michelle Roberts. Dick Whittington runs until February 3, and tickets for the traditionally wild final night have already sold out.

At the Grand Opera House - where Cinderella opened on Thursday - marketing officer Keira Meheux says that for performances tonight and tomorrow, then December 26 to December 30 and on January 5 and 6, a few seats are still available in the stalls, while seats in the dress circle are going fast, but there is greater availability in the grand circle. "Good seats" remain for next Monday and Tuesday, then January 1 to 4 and for the last night, January 7. For performances on December 21 to 24, the stalls and dress circle are almost sold out, but grand circle seats are available.