Star Studded Line Up for De Montfort Hall Panto

After breaking box office records last year, De Montfort Hall today announces their star studded line up for this year’s spectacular family pantomime Beauty and the Beast.

Richard ‘Dick’ McCourt of children’s TV’s Dick and Dom fame will star alongside the star of ITV’s Heartbeat, David Lonsdale and Leicester’s very own singing sensation Sam Bailey; who returns for a second year. Also returning again is everyone’s favourite pantomime dame, Martin Ballard, from BBC Radio Leicester.

Antony Flint, De Montfort Hall General Manager, said “I’m really, really pleased with the line-up, and not just because it provides the celebrity that people always expect from us, but also because it gives us a great platform for all the gags, comedy and mayhem that Leicester has come to expect from the De Montfort Hall Panto”.

Children’s television star Richard McCourt has been part of the BAFTA Award winning duo Dick and Dom for twenty years and has appeared in some of the most popular shows in CBBC history including Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow, The Legend of Dick and Dom and Absolute Genius amongst others.

David Lonsdale is an accomplished singer and theatre actor but is probably best known for his TV work in the role of David Stockwell in the long running TV series Heartbeat and as a teenage Peter Barlow in Coronation Street.

Leicester’s Sam Bailey shot to fame in 2013 when she won X-Factor and proceeded to have a Christmas number one as well as a number one album. Since then Sam has gone from strength to strength, releasing her second album in 2016 as well as touring as Mama Morton in Chicago and this year sees her touring the UK in her Sing My Heart Out tour.

Sam Said “I’m so excited to be back on home turf at De Montfort Hall again this year. I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast too so it’s a double bonus for me.  I had a great time last year and I can’t wait to see everyone again this Christmas.”

No Leicester panto would be complete without BBC Leicester broadcaster Martin Ballard who’s donning the dame’s frock once again, as he returns for his seventh pantomime season at De Montfort Hall.

Steve Boden, managing director of Imagine Theatre who co-produce the pantomime with De Montfort Hall, commented “We are really excited about our Beauty and the Beast cast. We are delighted to welcome Richard and David for their first De Montfort Hall pantomime; and it is great to have both Sam and Martin back again this year as in addition to being outstanding performers they are both very well known and involved in the local community and give the show a real Leicester feel”.

Beauty and the Beast runs from Saturday 16th December 2017 until Sunday 7th January 2018, and with the panto breaking box office records last year we advise people to book as early as possible for this ‘beauty’ of a show.

Justin Fletcher Returns for Pantomime at The Hexagon

The Hexagon in Reading are delighted to announce that children’s TV megastar Justin Fletcher will be returning to star in their spectacular family pantomime Peter Pan.

The local star is known to millions of children all over the world for his award winning television shows including Justin’s House, Gigglebiz and Something Special, starring Mr Tumble.  

This will be Justin’s sixth panto at The Hexagon as he takes on the role of hapless trainee pirate Mr Smee in a special panto version of the popular children’s classic written by BAFTA Award winning writer Will Brenton.

Steve Boden, who regularly directs The Hexagon panto as well as being Managing Director of Imagine Theatre who produce the panto says “We are delighted to be working with Justin once again. He is such a natural talent with a genuine love of performing, particularly of the sort of slapstick humour that is part and parcel of panto.”

Justin’s love of slap stick humour comes from being a huge fan of legendary duo Laurel and Hardy since the age of five and as regular panto-goers at The Hexagon will know, he is never shy of taking a custard pie in the face during a show!

Life as one of the most popular figures in children’s television is always hectic. Before spending Christmas in Snow White at the Hexagon, Justin took on a different role, that of Mr Perks in the West End production of The Railway Children at the King’s Cross Theatre. Following on from panto Justin is currently starring in a UK wide tour of Justin’s Party – all of this in addition to his myriad of filming commitments with the BBC.

Don’t miss out on your chance to see Justin in Peter Pan this Christmas. The show runs from Saturday 9 December 2017 until Sunday 7 January 2018 and tickets are already ‘flying’ out of the door!

The Hilarious Fraser Boyle and Gary Morrison Return for the Kilmarnock Panto

After a hugely successful festive season with Beauty and the Beast, the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock are already looking forward to their 2017 pantomime Dick Whittington and they are especially delighted at the return of two of their 2016 panto stars, Fraser Boyle and Gary Morrison.

Fraser Boyle will once again don a dress as Sarah the Cook while Gary will play Idle Jack.

The duo proved hugely popular with audiences and critics and were called an “expert slapstick team” by Ayrshire Magazine when they teamed up for the first time last year.

Fraser, who was described as “cheerfully cheeky” by the Kilmarnock standard says “Working with Imagine Theatre and the Palace Theatre was such a fantastic experience. Everyone was so professional and good humoured. We had some laughs backstage! Plus the audiences at Kilmarnock are a riot - you never know what you're going to get! That makes pantomime for me, the fabulous audience. The Kilmarnock lot are my kind of people! I'm so pleased and excited to be back and I'm looking forward to Christmas 2017 already."  

After a well earned break in January, Fraser is going to be touring The Dolls Abroad across Scotland this Spring – including a visit to the Palace Theatre.

Gary will be spending much of 2017 working with a Rep company in the North West of England but he also cannot wait to be back in panto.

“I think the thing that stands out for me each time I have played The Palace is the level of support from the wonderful audiences we had for every performance. They are always full of energy with lots of laughs and I cannot wait to return for Dick Whittington.”

Steve Boden, Managing Director of Imagine Theatre who produce the pantomime, says “we are delighted to have Fraser and Gary back this year as the audiences absolutely loved them and they are both an absolute pleasure to work with. This year’s Dick Whittington will be an absolutely brilliant show, especially with Fraser and Gary’s sense of fun, and I know the Palace audience are going to love it.

Dick Whittington runs from Saturday 25 November to Saturday 30 Dec 2017.

JP and Sean Back for the Spa Centre Panto

It may only be March but plans for the Royal Spa Centre’s spectacular family pantomime Sleeping Beauty are already underway and they are delighted to announce the return of panto favourites J P McCue and Sean Dodds.

The duo have become part and parcel of the Leamington panto over the last few years and this will be JP’s sixth year at the Spa Centre.

“I LOVE working at The Spa Centre as it has such a family feel to it, from the technical team to front of house and box office staff and the cast old and new, it's such a welcoming place to call home for the festive season.  Leamington itself is so beautiful with all the decorations, Christmas markets and shopping! PLUS it has the fanciest Wagamamas I've ever eaten in!”

I really enjoy playing Dame because of all the naughtiness I can get up to in the show. I love all the stories we get to tell in panto but I also adore the madness and the laughs we throw in too. Even the ones none of us see coming!”

JP spends much of the year abroad but Christmas just would not be the same without a return to the UK for panto: “When I am over here I miss the sun of course, as even though I'm Scottish I'm not great with the cold, and I miss my wonderful partner and my beautiful dog Apple, but they'll be over to see the panto, and I hope all of our brilliant audience members will be in again this year! You won't want to miss it!” 

 For Sean, who will be spending his fourth year at the Spa Centre, he feels Leamington is a home away from home.  “The thing I love about the Spa Centre is that it's more than just a theatre… it's a cafe, a cinema and for me, a Christmas home! I also love the atmosphere in Leamington at Christmas time - the lights make everywhere so magical! When you're walking around the town it's a great feeling and it really gets you in the Christmas spirit!”  

 Before panto season arrives Sean will have a busy year doing some filming as well as running his own company specialising in children’s magic and entertainment.

 Steve Boden, Managing Director of Imagine Theatre who are consultants to Warwick District Council on the pantomime, says “we are delighted to have both JP and Sean back for another season. They are both brilliant performers and the audiences absolutely adore them – you never know what is going to happen when those two are together on stage but you can be sure it will be great fun!”

Don't miss out on the hilarious antics of this expert slapstick duo when Sleeping Beauty opens on Saturday 2 December 2017.