A THEATRE group which staged a pantomime in a Southampton pub raised more than £2,500 for two cancer charities.

Members of the Forty Pound Theatre Group managed to squeeze about 60 people into The Bent Brief in Portswood for each performance of their version of The Alchemist.

The adults-only show tells the story of con artists and trickery. Even landlord Andy Wade was given a line to say in between pulling pints at the Lodge Road pub.

Unusually, the pantomime dame was played by a woman, Catherine Wild, who took on the lead role of Dol Common despite being in the middle of a brave battle against breast cancer. Catherine, 30, a support worker for people with learning disabilities, said she had made some great friends through the drama group who had helped her through a difficult year.

Panto director Julie Campbell said: "We decided to donate the money to Wessex Cancer Trust and Macmillan Cancer Relief because Catherine was going through chemotherapy at the time of the rehearsals.

"We asked her to choose the charities, and were all keen that the money went to local cancer charities."

The proceeds will help Wessex Cancer Trust tackle the problems of cancer across Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands. They will also boost Macmillan Cancer Relief's South Hampshire Appeal to raise £1m to fund a cancer information and support centre currently being built at the General.