A PANTO that is delighting audiences in a North Yorkshire market town has received national acclaim.

The Sleeping Beauty panto currently running at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal has been named by the Observer newspaper as one of the best Christmas shows of 2018.

The historic theatre’s production is one of 15 shows to be selected across the country and ranks alongside box office giants such as Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Dawn French’s Snow White at the London Palladium and the RSC’s A Christmas Carol at Stratford.

The pantomime’s writer and theatre chief executive Clare Allen, said: “We are exceedingly proud to have made this festive A-List.

“The Georgian Theatre Royal is well-known across the region for the exceptional quality of its pantomime but to have received such national recognition is a huge accomplishment.”

Sophie Campbell, a writer from The Telegraph, also travelled up from London to see the show earlier this week and wrote in her review that it was 'just what a panto should be'.

A special feature of this year’s set is a giant knitted patchwork quilt made up from woollen squares produced by the community.

Sleeping Beauty runs until Sunday, January 13 and tickets are priced from £9.