WEDDING bells will soon be ringing after a former Stourbridge vet received a surprise proposal in front of a packed-out theatre.

Zoe Mitchell was shocked to see her partner of one-and-a-half years Tom Jeavons get down on one knee in front of their close friends and the entire theatre audience during the second act of Theatr Clwyd’s annual Christmas pantomime on November 30.

Chemistry teacher Tom told how he had been planning the proposal for a while with the help of the cast and crew behind Jack and the Beanstalk and had arranged for the panto dame to call people up on stage during the performance and ensured that Zoe was one of the people picked out of the crowd seemingly at random.

He said: “I sat through the first act absolutely fine and had no nerves whatsoever. Once the second act began, I knew it was coming and that is when I got a little nervous."

Tom, aged 30, sat waiting in the wings for his musical cue to get ready for the big moment.

Once Zoe was on stage, he made his way to his bride-to-be and got down on one knee before popping the question.

Tom said his friends and family were not surprised by the theatrical proposal and would expect nothing less from him.

He said: “As a person I am quite out there and wacky, so a typical proposal was never on the cards for us. The theatre has a special meaning to us as me and Zoë have been in a few pantos socially as well as going to the theatre a few times as well.”

The couple recently moved in together in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and Tom said he thought Zoe was expecting him to propose on an upcoming trip to New York but he said he wanted to take her by surprise and opted for the theatre proposal instead.

He added: “We all had our hearts in our mouths once I asked the question. I’m so happy that she said yes - otherwise it would have been a bit awkward.”