Starlight brings festive cheer to childrens wards across the country with Christmas panto

Christmas can be a particularly gloomy time for poorly children undergoing treatment in hospital but a visit from Starlights unique Christmas pantomime to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) brought a dose of festive fun and laughter to the young patients there.
Starlight Childrens Foundation is a national charity that provides entertainment in hospitals and hospices and grants wishes for seriously and terminally ill children. The pantomime has been staged exclusively for Starlight by the interactive theatre group The Panto Company and the NNUH was visited as part of an eight week tour of the countrys hospitals and hospices.
On Monday 30th December, Starlights Sleeping Beauty was staged in the Jenny Lind Childrens Outpatient department. The pantos four actors dance, dazzled and sang for the young patients, their families and the staff. Every year, Starlight provides entertainment and distraction to over half a million poorly children and Starlights Christmas panto gives thousands of poorly children the chance to shout Hes behind you! from the safety of the hospital ward.
Judy Holland, Play Specialist at NNUH said, Every year we look forward to the arrival of Starlights Christmas Panto. Its always a really engaging show and its a wonderful escape for our young patients. Play is proven to significantly improve a poorly childs hospital experience and Starlights Christmas Panto is a fantastic distraction from any pain they might be feeling as a result of their illness.
Heather Foster, who plays Aurora and The Queen in Sleeping Beauty, said, Starlights Christmas Panto is designed to be really engaging and entertaining for the children and we hope that the performance at NNUH gave the patients there a good dose of fun! From their beaming smiles, it certainly looked as though they were enjoying the show!
The pantomime is just one way that Starlight brings fun, laughter and distraction to poorly children across the UK. The charity also grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes to children with serious and terminal illnesses. A Starlight wish gives a seriously ill child and their family a positive focus during the long hours of treatment and happy memories to treasure, whatever the future may hold.
For more information on Starlight Children’s Foundation, visit www.starlight.org.uk