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Dream Machine Brings Panto Magic to Crewe Krazy Races
What do you get when you combine a pantomime, a community soapbox race and a ton of imagination?
On Saturday 24 May, the team at Crewe Lyceum took part – for the third year running – in the town’s annual Krazy Races, taking to the streets with the Sleeping Beauty-inspired kart and dreams of soapbox glory.
Cheered on by huge crowds, the Dream Machine lived up to its name, powering through a fiercely competitive field of 19 teams. After keeping everyone on edge during a tense qualification round, the team booked their place in the final and raced their way to an impressive 5th place finish. Guiding the kart down the course was Deputy Technical Manager AJ, who took on driving duties as the team chased soapbox success.
Keeping the crowds entertained throughout the day was none other than Crewe’s beloved pantomime star Ste Johnston, who to his credit, remained almost entirely impartial while compering the event, although listeners may have noticed the occasional completely unrelated mention of Sleeping Beauty every once in a while!
The race may be over, but excitement is continuing to build for this year’s festive spectacular. Since race day, Crewe has announced that beloved TV star and panto favourite Su Pollard will be joining the cast, giving audiences even more reason to look forward to the show’s arrival this Christmas.
Crewe Krazy Races is a brilliant celebration of creativity, community spirit and organised chaos, making it a perfect fit for the Lyceum. From designing and adapting the kart to cheering from the sidelines on race day, the event was a fantastic opportunity for the theatre team to come together and share a memorable experience whilst showcasing great creativity and teamwork. The trophy may have escaped Crewe this year, but Dream Machine proved it had plenty of horsepower (and panto magic) to mix with the best of them.
Wedding bells for Stacey in Eastbourne
The Winter Gardens was transformed to a perfect wedding venue for Customer Experience Manager Stacey Barnes-Hurst who tied the knot with partner Lee Hurst at a civil service at the site on 30 May. The celebration of love was followed by food and dancing until late with a family and friends – it was a love story which started when the happy couple first met each other at the venue. Congratulations to the happy couple!
Imagine Theatre lends a hand to lifechanging charity
At Imagine Theatre, we believe in the power of storytelling, community and creating positive experiences that leave a lasting impact. Alongside bringing magic and entertainment to audiences across the UK, we are also proud to support initiatives that help change lives beyond the stage — including our support of Lend with Care.
Lend with Care is a microfinance initiative run by CARE International UK, one of the world’s leading poverty-fighting charities. The charity helps entrepreneurs in low-income countries access small business loans that allow them to build sustainable futures for themselves and their families.
What makes Lend with Care so powerful is its simplicity. A loan of as little as £15 can help someone buy farming equipment, stock a market stall, purchase livestock, or invest in tools and materials to grow a small business. As the loan is repaid, the funds can then be reinvested to support another entrepreneur, creating a cycle of ongoing opportunity and empowerment.
Since beginning our support in 2019, Imagine Theatre has proudly funded more than 1,225 individual £15 loans through the programme. Because the scheme is self-sustaining, as repayments are made the money is reinvested again and again — with some of our original contributions now helping entrepreneurs for the fourth time over.
The impact of this support has been incredible. Together, these loans have helped support 2,648 entrepreneurs as they build and grow their businesses, while contributing towards the creation of 1,783 jobs within local communities around the world.
For us at Imagine Theatre, supporting Lend with Care reflects values that are incredibly important to our company — creativity, ambition, resilience and giving people the opportunity to thrive. Just as theatre has the ability to inspire confidence, bring people together and spark imagination, initiatives like Lend with Care empower individuals to create brighter futures.
We are incredibly proud to support a charity that focuses not simply on aid, but on empowerment — helping people work their way out of poverty with dignity, independence and long-term sustainability.
Imagine celebrates carbon neutral milestone
We’re also proud to share that Imagine Theatre has now completed its fifth consecutive year as a Carbon Neutral company and is officially embarking on year six of its sustainability journey.
Five years ago, Imagine made a commitment to reduce its environmental impact and embed sustainability into the way it works. Since then, they’ve continued to challenge themselves, finding new ways to make productions, operations and business practices more environmentally responsible.
Reaching five years of carbon neutrality is an incredible achievement, but it’s not the destination. Sustainability is an ongoing commitment, and Imagine are excited to continue building on the progress they’ve made so far as they move into their sixth year.
Sarah Boden, Joint CEO Imagine Theatre, said: “A huge thank you to our team, partners, venues and audiences who have supported us along the way. Together, we’re proving that great theatre and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. Here’s to the next chapter of creating magical experiences while caring for the world around us.”
Pride Cymru
New Theatre Cardiff proudly joined the Pride Cymru parade last weekend, with staff taking to the streets in spectacular costumes from Beauty and the Beast.
The city was filled with joy and community spirit, and the sun even popped out to say hello!
