VILLAGE actors did more than just grant three wishes with their latest panto Aladdin – they used it to raise more than £6,000 for good causes.

The 32nd pantomime for the Launton Village Players followed the story of Aladdin who is famously granted three wishes from the genie in the lamp.

But it was the amateur dramatic group, based near Bicester, who have been granting wishes after handing over £6,050 to more than 30 local groups and charities.

The production of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp was performed on stage in February to some 1,300 people.

It proved to be a community affair with more than 100 people chipping in to help put on the show and about 70 Chinese lanterns made by local school children to decorate the venue.

Producer Celia Evans said the cast was made up of 55 people, plus a further seven players in the panto band.

She added: "As well as this there were 48 people helping with front of house, so we had over 110 people involved in the show.

“Of course, this is not the full number: there were at least 20 others involved in making costumes and props, looking after children and being chaperones, and all the other tasks involved in the show.”

Launton Village Players produce one pantomime and one or two other shows each year, both dramatic and musical.

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, which is the third time the group performed a variation of the popular tale, told the story of Aladdin, played by Daisy May Richards, and his mother The Dame Widow Twankey, played by Scott Houston, who set up a takeaway to support their family laundry in the Chinese capital.

There were six performances.

Launton Village Players publicity officer Robert Cornford said: "We have now finished doing the accounts, and 34 organisations will receive money from the panto this year - the largest number ever.

"The total of £6,050 is the second largest amount we have raised from one run. Only Cinderella in 2016 which raised £7,100 has given away more.

"We have a very wide mix of organisations receiving money this year, from very local groups to Bicester-based groups, and on to county-based organisations like The Gatehouse Project in Oxford and Oxford Samaritans, right on to the international charity Book Aid International that works in over 20 countries.

“And of course we gave to 14 local schools as well.”

Local charities and groups that benefitted from the fundraising included Launton Playgroup, Launton’s Island Pond Wood, The Bicester Foodbank and Bicester Good Neighbour Scheme.

Schools were also given £50 each including Bure Park Primary School, Langford Primary and St Mary’s Primary.

The group have raised in total more than £112,000 for charity.