PARENTS from St Anne’s Church thought their pantomime days were behind them 30 years ago, but oh no they weren’t.

For the mums and dads who appeared in the 1979 production of Aladdin have seen their own kids star in the exact same panto.

The church youth group from Nursery Lane, Wilmslow, put on the story from the Arabian Nights on Sunday, January 18, almost 30 years to the day that their parents acted out the same roles.

Jessica Sibley, 12, Widow Twankey in 2009, is the daughter of Joy Sibley, Aladdin in 1979, Greasy Joe (2009), played by Derek Mountford, nine, is the son of Slave of the Lamp (1979), Elinor Mountford while the mother of Aladdin’s princess, eight-year-old Grace Bower, was in the chorus 30 years ago.

Church volunteer Alastair King said: "The organisers are so pleased with it they are already seriously thinking about the same next year. Those Were The Days was sung in the panto and I think it’s appropriate given that four of the performers this year have mothers who were in the cast in 1979."

Proud parents watched youngster Emma Lewis, 12, top the bill playing Aladdin, supported by Chris Murray, as Wishee Washee, who also directed the pantomime this year.

Alex Binnie, 12, was wicked Uncle Ebenezer and Jessica Sibley as Widow Twankey, mother of Aladdin and proprietor of Widow Twankey’s Chinese Laundry, which found a new market in money laundering.

The original production of Aladdin and his Wonderful Cat had a 29-strong cast and toured the David Lewis Centre and The Mary Dendy Hospital, Great Warford.

The pantomime played to two packed houses at St Anne’s Hall, and the organisers are hoping that like its predecessor it will be the first of a series.

The closing remarks of the 1979 report in the Wilmslow Advertiser said that the production had been such a success that the club were thinking about putting on another performance the following year.

Almost 30 years later the pantos are going strong with volunteers planning to make Aladdin run on for a few more years following its success.

The next major dramatic event in the parish will be Return to Narnia Day at St Bartholomew’s on Saturday, March 7. For further information about this or the parish youth group contact Anne Binnie on 01625 535477.