Panto lovers who had watched romance blossom onstage in Puss in Boots last week got an unexpected bonus - when the show’s producer got down on one knee during the finale to propose to his director.

Simon White, 36, was the producer of the panto at Colnbrook Village Hall last week, working alongside his girlfriend Becky Poulton, 35 - a veteran performer with the village’s drama group CAST who was directing it as her first show.

He decided to spring a Christmas surprise she would never forget.

As Friday night’s sell out performance came to an end the audience cheered the happy romantic ending that saw Jack win the hand of the Princess Esmerelda, while the comedy villains Jasper and Jethro went down on bended knee and proposed to their ‘village maidens’ Babs and Betty who accepted with full comic panto vitality.

Then came the big surprise when Steve Parkyn in his ‘dame’ costume as Queen Wendy asked Becky to join her the cast on stage.

To her amazement and that of the rest of the cast Simon appeared too, went down on one knee, presented Becky with a ring and asked her to marry him.

She said yes at once.

Becky, who works as an administrator at Datchet Health Centre, grew up watching her dad Reg performing shows with Old Windsor’s Riverside Players and later with CAST in Colnbrook.

Despite living with a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which she has had since she was a baby she has played leading roles in numerous musicals and pantos with the group.

Simon joined CAST three years ago, persuaded by Becky to ‘help out’.

He said: “Having said I’d never appear on stage I ended up appearing in the panto Mother Goose and last year appeared as one of the dames in St Jude’s Players panto Beauty and the Beast.”

Becky says his support, when she decided to direct her first panto this year, was crucial.

“When I said I wanted to direct he said ‘go for it, I’ll help you’.”

But this was one occasion when she was not expecting to be part of the show.

Becky said: “It was quite a surprise and a wonderful Christmas present.”