SIR Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren and even Brad Pitt all had to start somewhere.

For some of these children that somewhere could be Winchester Theatre Royal’s annual pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Around 170 children turned up, with boys aged eight-to-12 trying out for five of the seven dwarfs and girls aged 12-17 auditioning for the dance cast.

The other two dwarfs will be portrayed by professionals while the child cast will rotate throughout the production.

Director James Barry said: “The calibre for this year's auditions was extremely high. We were delighted with the turnout and very much appreciated that parents had taken time out on a sunny day to bring their talented children along.”

Mr Barry was on a selection panel along with choreographer Hannah Jackson and child cast director Ryan Jones.

He added: “We were faced with a very difficult choice and wish we could have taken on more. The boys needed excellent acting and movement skills, as they will be playing dwarfs alongside professional actors, plus the ability to focus and take direction.

“For the girls, we were looking for performance skills as well as good dance technique. We put them through their paces and they all worked really hard."

It runs from December 11 to January 5.