PUZZLES PULLOUT
THEIR time on ITV’S flagship soap may be behind them but 25 former Coronation Street stars have panto in front of them this year.
Theatres can maximise ticket sales by using stars from the cobbles, who may earn around €100,000 for the festive shows.
And this year a record-breaking number of ex-weatherfield faces are going on the stage.
Peter Pan seems to be particularly popular, with Claire King (Erica Holroyd) appearing in the
Belfast production,
Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshaw) in Llandudno’s version, Bradley Walsh
(Danny Baldwin) in Birmingham, Wendi Peters (Cilla Battersby) in Canterbury, Marc Baylis (Rob Donovan) in New Brighton and Nick Cochrane (Andy Mcdonald) both starring in and directing the Northampton Peter Pan.
Five Corrie faves will be in Jack and the Beanstalk. Robin Askwith (Ritchie de Vries) is in Southend, Ian Reddington (Vernon Tomlin) is in King’s Lynn, Denise Welch (Natalie Barnes) in Newcastle, Nigel Pivaro (Terry Duckworth) in Rotherham and Bill Ward (Charlie Stubbs) plays Sunderland.
Two are in Aladdin, Hayley Tamaddon (Andrea) in Bristol and Brian Capron (Richard Hillman) in Stockport. Nigel Havers (Lewis Archer) stars in a London production of Dick Whittington and Michael Starke (Jerry Morton) is in Robin Hood in York.
At a different theatre in York, Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) stars in Beauty and the Beast, while Sherrie Hewson (Maureen Holdsworth) does the same tale in Nottingham, Oliver Mellor (Dr Matt Carter) appears in a version on The Wirral.
Sally Lindsay (Shelley Unwin) is in Sleeping Beauty in Dunstable, Vicky Entwistle (Janice Battersby) in Rhyl and Derek Griffiths (Freddie) in Norwich.
Elsewhere, Michelle Collins (Stella Price) is in Dartford’s Cinderella, Steven Arnold (Ashley Peacock) does it in Melton Mowbray. Eric Potts (Diggory Compton) will be in Darlington and Lucy-jo Hudson (Katy Harris) in St Helens in Snow White.
Christopher Biggins reckons there is a good reason why he and other “golden oldies” were invited to appear on the ITV show Gone to Pot: American Road Trip, which kicks off tonight at 9pm.
“Television executives are realising all these young reality stars are crap,” says Biggins, 68, who stars in Aladdin at Richmond Theatre, London, this Christmas. “They’re turning to us oldies because we’ve something to say, which is great.” He could be right.