Potterne Panto Group players blast off into the stratosphere this week with their annual offering at the village hall.

They have chosen an intergalactic subject for their yearly romp with A Space Oddity, subtitled It’s a Panto, Jim, But Not As We Know It.

Group chairman Jackie Sawyer said: “Having celebrated our 25th anniversary in 2010, we are starting our next quarter century with a space-themed pantomime, which includes references to popular sci-fi movies and TV programmes.”

Expect lots of jokes about Vulcans and Wookies as Captain Burke and the crew of the Starship Yesdear defend Planet Earth.

The crew meet a number of interplanetary characters along the way, halting to replenish with tea, medicinal compound and chocolate.

The panto opens tonight and runs tomorrow and Saturday at 7.30pm with a matinee on Saturday at 2pm. Tickets on sale at Potterne Post Office.