'The Spare Prince' is bringing panto royalty to Longford's Backstage Theatre

Who knew that Prince Charming had a younger brother? That is what the Backstage Youth Theatre are exploring in their upcoming ‘The Spare Prince’. 

This pantomime extravaganza is by the iconic group that has run for 30 years, with previous members being RTÉ’s Sinéad Hussey and Fran McNulty, to Darren Yorke and Luke Casserly, and is creating new stars on the stage.

This charming pantomime will take place from Friday, January 23 to Sunday, January 25, and Friday & Saturday, January 30-31. The play is to be around two hours long with a break in-between. A matinee takes place on the Saturday and Sunday at 3pm, with both Friday shows starting at 7pm. 

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Directed by Paul Higgins, ‘The Spare Prince’ is written by Longford’s own Brendan Williams, whose works are played as well in the west of Ireland. Estimated to have written around 12 scripts for the Backstage Youth Theatre, ‘The Spare Prince’ promises to bring plenty of laughs and an opportunity for the county’s young people to shine.

 “We have 26 on stage, all aged from 13-18. Some of them will be their first time on stage. There will be singing and dancing. A lot of the stuff they’ve done themselves,” explained director, Paul Higgins.

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The good news is that there are plenty of tickets available for grabs via the official Backstage Theatre website. Prices are €15/€10 and €42 for a family of four.

“It’d be great to have people support these young people. What they do getting up on stage will serve them well in future life. It gives them confidence and allows them to talk in front of people.”

Perfect for all ages, ‘The Spare Prince’ has been a great effort by all the young people in the group. From costumes, to stage managing and rehearsals, along with leaders to guide them, the final result will be from weeks of hard work. 

As Paul said, auditions had started back in October and with Christmas exams and breaks playing a part, progress has really been rolling in 2026 to showcase the young talent.

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Telling the tale of Cinderella, it stars Emile Valatkaite (Cinderella), Culann Fitzgerald (Prince Charming) and the titular character of The Spare Prince is Mark Wijas. 

The good news is that there are plenty of tickets available for grabs via the official Backstage Theatre website. Prices are €15/€10 and €42 for a family of four.