SOMERSET'S first adult panto tour has raised £7,000 for local performing arts after a sell-out show.

Glastonbury And Street Pottymouth Squad’s (GASPS) tour of Sinders in January is supporting Glastonbury and Street Musical Comedy Society (GSMCS), the group’s most successful fundraising event in its 93-year history.

GASPS was set up last year to raise funds for the GSMCS after it lost the opportunity to perform its traditional annual family panto at Strode Theatre when the venue took the show in-house.

And GASPS will be returning to Somerset next year with a new filthy adult panto.

Laura Vernoum, who produced Sinders alongside cast member Dean Wilson, said: “The success was phenomenal, and way beyond what we expected. We sold out a month before the show, we had customers on ticket waiting lists, and we’ve had a whole stream of emails and messages begging us to return next year.

“We may not yet have decided on our venues or our dates, but we do know we will be back.”

The idea to launch GASPS came from members of GSMCS who realised the possibility of staging a family panto in Street or Glastonbury was looking less likely, while also recognising they needed to think outside the box to raise funds for their annual musicals.

Mary Parker, treasurer of GSMCS, which will use the donation to help fund its annual musicals, said: “We are thrilled the adult panto has been such a huge success and has raised so much for our society.

“We were a little nervous about how an adult panto would be received by Somerset audiences, but they clearly loved it and want more, so we’re all looking forward to seeing what GASPS pulls out the bag next year.”

Excited fans can join a mailing list to be the first to hear when tickets go on sale by signing up at www.gspottymouth.co.uk