WHEN times get tough, there’s always panto – oh yes there is.

Jack and the Beanstalk broke box office records at Hereford’s Courtyard Centre for the Arts to take a crunch-busting total of almost £200,000 in its run.

That sum sets the Courtyard up for a strong start to 2009 and its next 10 years of life.

Rebecca Storey, spokesman for the Courtyard, said the escapist nature of the show saw audiences celebrate the festive season.

“Panto lets you laugh at the very things you worry about in life. It can also be enjoyed by all the family, important when you may be cutting back on Christmas treats,” she said.

Jack was also good business for the Courtyard which staked success on a gruelling six-week, 72- show run, the most ambitious the centre has ever done.

The run won over audiences and critics alike. By the final night nearly 20,000 tickets had been sold and around £194,000 taken at the box office.

Courtyard chief executive Martyn Green said the response to Jack had been amazing. “It just goes to show how important our annual pantominme is to the people of Herefordshire.”

The Courtyard raised more than £11,000 through its Christmas Appeal this year. Much of the money, raised through voluntary donations, will go to the Acorns Children’s Hospice with the rest boosting the Courtyard’s education and outreach programme.