Oh yes it does! Panto fun gives serious message about sewers

The show includes all the usual gags and panto slapstick but with a message on why people need to keep wipes and fats out of sewer pipes, and how to protect the environment.

The cast of the show are all from the educational performance team Mad Science, and they will be weaving wacky experiments and daring demonstrations into the story to help explain how our pipes get blocked.

Wet wipes – even those that are labelled as ‘flushable’ – create a big headache for Anglian Water. Along with fats and greases poured down kitchen sinks they can stick to the inside of pipes causing leaks that are unpleasant for nearby residents and bad news for the environment.

Anglian Water staff have to fix more than 30,000 blockages a year 80 percent of which are caused by wipes and fats – which costs all customers a whopping £15million a year on their bills.

Rachel Dyson, from the Keep It Clear campaign, said: “We’ve had a busy year taking the message about keeping our pipes clear out on the streets, in schools and at community events across East Anglia.

“Now we’re launching our first ever panto to help spread the word. Dame Flush may look a little different from our usual official spokespeople, but we hope she will be able to deliver a lot of laughs and an important message at the same time.

“But behind the giggles and groans there is a serious issue. As anyone who has ever been affected will tell you, a sewage spill can cause misery. Our advice is simple, the only things that should go down a toilet are the three Ps – pee, poo and paper. And fats, oils and greases in our kitchen must go in the bin or in the compost or food caddy - never down the plughole!”

As well as visiting schools in the region Dame Flush and her crew will be busy on social media in the run up to Christmas to give people lots of festive water tips.