PANTO actors are casting anchor at Lodmoor Country Park for a summer adventure.

Weymouth’s swashbuckling summer panto Pirates Ahoy! opens at the new venue of Lodmoor Palladium on August 13.

Seadog Billy and the crew of the Saucy Sally launched the panto along with the Friends of Lodmoor Country Park.

The town's summer panto has been a staple of the resort for the past decade and attracts holidaymakers and locals alike.

Pirates Ahoy! is produced by Made to Measure and will feature its usual brand of stunning scenery, toe-tapping tunes, hilarious comedy and dazzling dance routines featuring some familiar faces amongst the cast.

It stars Liam Mellor as Seadog Billy, Robert Squire as the bumbling Captain Filibuster, Isla Rose as the plucky and dependable Pirate Poppy, and Tegen Jones as the stunning Spirit of the Seas alongside a full ensemble cast.

Included in each ticket is the chance to join in with Seadog Billy’s Pirate Academy! - an immersive section of the show that gets everybody involved and gives budding pirates the chance to join the cast onstage and learn to 'swash-and-buckle with the best'.

The new state-of-the-art 14m Lodmoor Palladium will also play host to comedy and cinema nights and drag shows.

Panto producer and writer Lee Redwood from Made to Measure Productions, said: “We are so excited to be bringing our famous summer pantomime back as part of a fully pirate-themed event this summer! "Over the last decade, we have been committed to creating bespoke productions, specifically written and created for Weymouth, and we can’t wait to continue that legacy at our new venue."

The 34m wide Lodmoor Palladium will feature 650 comfortable padded theatre seats with both flat floor and tiered levels to choose from.

A bar, managed by ‘Bippity Boppity Booze’, will keep audiences refreshed.

Outdoor activities such as ‘Dig For Gold’, ‘Hook Hoopla’ and ‘Pin the Eyepatch on the Pirate’ are included in the ticket price, keeping young pirates entertained before and after the show.

There will even be a chance to get dressed up and snap-a-selfie at the ‘Pirate Selfie Station’ and enjoy food and drinks in ‘The Galley’ throughout the day.

The Lodmoor Palladium will be supporting local causes and charities, offering spaces for stalls in their community harbour section of the event as well as holding post-show bucket collections for ‘The Friends of Lodmoor Country Park’ who are currently raising money for repairs to the galleon in their play area due to recent vandalism.

Dinah Ellis, chairman of the Friends of Lodmoor Country Park, said: “We were thrilled when Made to Measure Productions generously offered to donate performance bucket collections to a project in the park.

"Maintenance of the wooden galleon in the play area seemed most appropriate, and after this weekend’s vandalism, repairs are now essential."

Lodmoor Palladium will be open from Saturday, August 13 until Sunday, August 21with twice daily Pirates Ahoy! performances and varying evening performances.

Tickets are available online at www.lodmoorpalladium.co.uk