A traditional fairy story was given a panto twist when children took to the stage at a Calne school.

Performances of Hansel and Gretel at St Margaret’s Preparatory School were greeted with a standing ovation and plenty of audience participation.

A total of 48 children from Years 3 and 4 were coached on their lines and songs by their class teachers and Musical Director Hilary Gibbin.

Teacher Heather Richards said: "We gave the traditional story a bit of a pantomime spin, with a lot more songs and audience participation; it went down very well with the audiences! Every year we try and reach the standard of the year before but it was lovely that one of our current Year 6 girls came up to me afterwards and said: ‘You told us we were the best but this year they were even better.’"

Parents helped out by making costumes and scenery to make the show a true family effort. The lead role of Hansel was taken by Leo, while the role of Gretel was acted by Claire. The St Margaret’s version of the story had two evil witches rather than just one, fiendishly played by Amelia and Erin.