Panto duo get seats named after them

Mark Rhodes and David Phipps-Davis are honoured at the Gatehouse theatre

The Gatehouse Theatre has paid tribute to two of its most-loved panto stars by naming seats after them in the Main Auditorium.

Mark Rhodes and David Phipps-Davis are back at the booming Eastgate Street venue for the third year running in Sleeping Beauty, which runs from December 5th to January 4th.

And to mark their three years leading the panto fun, they have both had plaques attached to seats in the main house in their honour.

‘I’m absolutely thrilled,’ said Pop Idol star and CBBC legend Mark who plays Hilarious Harry in this year’s show.

I’m a fairly local lad and I’ve loved every minute in Stafford – the people are lovely, the Gatehouse is brilliant and the audiences have been out of this world. So this a great honour and I really, really appreciate it.’

Both award-winning stars first featured in Beauty & the Beast in 2023, before returning in last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk and now Sleeping Beauty.

David Phipps-Davis, who plays Nurse Nora Nickerbocker in Sleeping Beauty, added:

‘I’m blown away – this is a fantastic gesture and I feel humbled by it, because I truly love being in Stafford. What’s scary is how fast the time has flown by!’

Gatehouse General Manager Gary Stevens commented:

‘We are delighted to dedicate a seat to both David and Mark, whose commitment and character have uplifted all who share this space. Throughout the last three years they have attracted around 60,000 people to our pantos and now these seats show gratitude and respect.’

Other stars with seats named after them in the Main Auditorium include Jason Manford, Joe Pasquale and Su Pollard. And members of the public can now also Name a Seat at the theatre, too.

The Gatehouse is also giving theatre lovers the opportunity to 'Name a Seat'.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, mark a special moment, say thank you to a friend, or honour a fellow theatre-lover, naming a seat in the main auditorium is the perfect memento of happy hours spent at the Gatehouse down the years.

Purchasing a seat - which will be in situ for the next years will also help towards projects including our Gatehouse Youth Theatre groups, which give local youngsters their first taste of theatre, our Dementia Friendly Classic Film Afternoons, or our ongoing support for local community groups.

Simply choose what you’d like to say on your specially-engraved metal plaque and we’ll proudly display it on a seat of your choice for the next 10 years.

Donations start at £150 for one seat or £250 for two (although you can donate as much as you like above those amounts).

You will also receive a downloadable Certificate of Thanks and a picture of the plaque in place (we will also happily arrange a visit to the theatre for you to grab your own photo).

Details can be found in the link: NAME A SEAT PROGRAMME