A SPECIAL festive treat greeted late-night shoppers in Carlisle, courtesy of the cast of the city’s pantomime for this year.

A special ‘pop-up’ pantomime performance was put on for crowds of shoppers in The Lanes on Wednesday.

The cast of this year’s Sands Centre pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, brought the festive theatre experience to the city a week before the start of their run of performances at the traditional city panto venue.

The whole cast turned out to perform songs and entertain shoppers in The Lanes, who had come along to take advantage of the late night shopping opening hours.

Carlisle star Matt Pagan, best known as a member of the musical group Collabro and winners of the 2014 series of Britain’s Got Talent, led the rendition of the popular fairy tale, playing the Prince.

Matt was thrilled to be back in his home town for the Christmas season, and was excited to bring the pantomime experience to the city a week before the first Sands Centre performance, coming this Wednesday.

Speaking before the pop-up version of the performance began, he said: “I did this show last year in Ipswich.

“I only ever do Snow White.

“I have no idea what goes on in other shows. This is all I’ve ever done in panto. Put me in Cinderella and I’ll go ‘what happens in this story?’

“The script changes depending on where you are.

“I put a few cheeky extra lines in sometimes.”

The Thursday evening pop-up version of the pantomime was also a chance for the gathered audience to meet the cast and grab some pictures with the stars of the show.

Former Hollyoaks star Sarah George plays the role of Snow White.

The evening also gave the impromptu audience an opportunity to win family tickets for one of the performances of the pantomime in its traditional Sands Centre venue.

As is also tradition, CFM presenter Robbie Dee is in this year’s cast - performing in his 17th consecutive Carlisle pantomime, this year as Dame Dotty.

Jimmy Vee, who played R2D2 in the most recent Star Wars film, appears as the leader of the Seven Dwarfs.