It’s Corrie to... panto

...your Coronation Street career, that is

FORMER Corrie stars are appearing in 25 pantos this year – proving life off the Cobbles is not always more glamorous.

Theatre bosses know the soap favourites pull in the crowds.

But instead of being watched by 5million viewers on TV, the ex-cast members will be treading the boards in theatres from Dartford to Darlington.

They will bag up to £100,000 for exhausting runs that can last well into the new year.

Claire King, who played Erica Holroyd, is in Peter Pan at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, and Hayley Tamaddon (Andrea Beckett) is appearing at the Bristol Hippodrome in Aladdin.

Brian Capron, who played killer Richard Hillman, will star in Aladdin in Stockport.

Axed

Sherrie Hewson (Maureen Webster) will be in Nottingham for Beauty And The Beast, Eric Potts (Diggory Compton) is in Snow White in Darlington, while Michelle Collins (Stella Price) is in Cinderella in Dartford.

Recently axed Ryan Thomas is in Peter Pan in Llandudno, while Nigel Havers stars in Dick Whittington at the London Palladium.

Street legend Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) will star in Beauty And The Beast in York.

One theatrical agent said: “It may seem a bit of a climbdown, but pantos are a massive British tradition. “These guys are still massive box office draws and are also extremely talented actors.”

PANTO PICKS: Claire in Peter Pan. Inset, Hayley and Brian MADE UP: Sherrie in Beauty And The Beast ONE in three Brits have a quick tipple on Christmas morning. People in the North East were mostly likely to start boozing early, said the survey by Sainsbury’s. RESIDENTS of towns and villages across the country are turning to Crowdfunder, Just Giving and Facebook to raise funds for festive displays as councils cannot afford them.