Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
LET THE FUN BEGIN…
Get ready to boo and hiss at your favourite baddies and cheer for your heroes as larger-than- life panto season is ahead of us. Angela Cole looks at where to head for panto across Kent this Christmas
MARLOWE THEATRE, CANTERBURY CINDERELLA
Friday, November 23 to Sunday, January 6 The cast of the record breaking Marlowe Theatre pantomime - which was seen by more than 100,000 people last year - this year features Kent’s own Phil “Mister Maker ” Gallagher and former Coronation Street and Loose Women star Sally Lindsay, alongside Canterbury favourites, Ben Roddy and Lloyd Hollett. Gravesend-based Harry Reid, best known for playing Ben Mitchell in Eastenders, joins theth castt as Dandiniddii withith Carac Dudgeon as Cinderella, Oliver Walton as Prince
Charming and Patrick Clancy as Baron Hardup. The show marks the 10th consecutive year panto producers Evolution Productions have brought audiences the Christmas extravaganza in Canterbury. ltickets, from £14.75, are available by calling
01227 787787 or visiting marlowetheatre.com
THEATRE ROYAL, MARGATE ALADDIN
From Wednesday, November 28 to Sunday, December 2 Margate Operatic Society spectacular panto will be a musical extravaganza with plenty of songs you’ll know, where the hero, street urchin Aladdin,aladdin is in love with the princess Jasmine who’s overbearing Mother, the Empress of China, wishes her to marry a rich young man. Aladdin vows to leave behind the laundry where he lives with his mum, Widow Twanky, and hapless brother, Wishee Washee. for tickets go to margatewintergardens.co. uk or call 08442 439 480
MAIDSTONE PANTO
WH THE SEVE
SNOW WHITE AND N DWARFS
Friday, Novembber 30 to New Year’s Evee Among the starss headlining the cast at the show in The Friars, Aylesford, are Been James-ellis from BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do, and Francine Lewis, who shot to fame doinng impressions on ITV’S Britainn’s Got Talent. Bosses behinnd the panto, which last yeary was held at Maaidstone Studios, have investedd heavily in evenn more special effeccts in oorder to prooduce “the woow factor”.
Ass well as thhe shows, thhere will be a winter vvillage wwith free eentry and paarking, wwhere visitors can ennjoy an ice rink, fairground ridees and food and drink stallss. lti ickets from £202 are availablee from maidstone panto.com
STAG THEATRE, SEVENOAKS DICK WHITTINGTON
Friday, November 30 to Sunday, January 6 This year the Stag Theatre marks the 10th anniversary of professional pantomime in Sevenoaks. More than 20,000 people watch the pantomime each year, and after last year’s record breaking production of Snow White, Britain’s Got Talent star Danny Beard returns to play the Spirit of London.
Kent children’s entertainer, Ant ’Silly Billy’ Payne, also returns along with Sevenoaks’ favourite baddie, Jasette Amos. The show also features a live gospel choir that includes a cast of singers, used to sharing a stage with artists from Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran and Nicole Sherzinger. for tickets from £15 visit sevenoakspanto.com
CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY CINDERELLA
Saturday, December 1 to Sunday, December 30 Birds of a Feather star Lesley Joseph will be flying in as the Fairy Godmother for this Christmas’s panto, produced by Qdos Entertainment, the team behind last year’s record breaking production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Jessie Wallace. Lesley will be joined by Charlotte Haines (Cinderella), James Darch (Prince Charming) and Phil Reid (Buttons), with laughout-loud comedy, stunning scenery and special effects - plus plenty of boos and hisses. for tickets from £18, call 020 8290 8210 or visit churchilltheatre.co.uk
HAZLITT THEATRE, MAIDSTONE ALADDIN
Saturday, December 1 to New Year’s Eve Actor and comedian Richard Blackwood, who played Vincent Hubbard in Eastenders, will play
The Genie in Aladdin, while the title role will be played by Alessandro Lubrano and Elizabeth Bright as Princess Jasmine, after playing Cinderella last year. They will be joined by Kivan Dene as Abanazar, Erina Lewis as
Slave of the Ring, and of course not forgetting Widow Twankey - brought to life by Tim Hudson. to
book tickets, call 01622 758611 or go to parkwoodtheatres.co.uk
EM FORSTER THEATRE, TONBRIDGE JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Saturday, December 15 to Sunday, January 6 Wicked Productions - the same company behind last year’s popular production Aladdin - will mark their third year at the theatre with their production. With more performances than previous years, the show promises a family treat with stunning scenery, music, choreography, magic and fun, plus a show-stopping giant, beanstalk and special effects. There will be bucket collections for ellenor and Chasing Connor’s Cure. for
tickets to the show at £15.50, visit emftheatre.com or call 01732 304241.
THE WOODVILLE, GRAVESEND PETER PAN
Friday, December 7 to New Year’s Day The auditorium will be hooked for the adventure being put on by Wicked Productions, who are regulars at the venue at Easter and are doing the venue’s panto for the first time. Jamie Paul ‘JJ’ Hamblett, from boy band Union J will play Peter Pan, with firm favourite Robert Pearce
returning as pirate dame Mrs Smee and Rob Cummings as Captain Hook. for tickets from £14 go to woodville.co.uk or call 08442 439 480
ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS SLEEPING BEAUTY
Friday, December 7 to Wednesday, January 2 Benidorm and Brookside star Claire Sweeney and Channel 5’s Milkshake star Derek Moran are among the cast in the show, which promises flying fairies, a firebreathing dragon and some CGI animation.
Produced by UK Productions in association with Assembly Hall Theatre and directed by John-Jackson Almond, the show sees Claire, who appeared in panto at the Central Theatre, Chatham last year, as the wicked fairy godmother Carabosse Quinn Patrick returns for a second year to Tunbridge Wells as Nurse Nelly, after playing Widow Twankey last year. to book tickets, priced at £24, call 01892 530613 or visit assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
CENTRAL THEATRE, CHATHAM DICK WHITTINGTON & HIS CAT
Friday, December 7 to Monday, December 31 Ray Quinn, who reached The X-factor factor in 2006 and went
on to star in Brookside, will play the title role. Ray, who has had a career in musicals recently including Grease, Legally Blonde and Summer Holiday leads the cast as Dick sets off to seek his fortune on the streets of London and across the seas to Morocco. Will he defeat the evil King Rat and his gang of vile vermin
Will Alice Fitzwarren lose her heart to this handsome hunk? Will the streets of London be paved with gold?
And will Sarah the Cook suffer another soggy bottom?
The classic pantomime, which also stars Joe Tracini as Idle
Jack, will feature dazzling dance routines and swashbuckling adventure. lfor tickets go to medwayticketslive.co.uk or call 01634 338338.
ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD ALADDIN
Saturday, December 8 to Sunday, December 30 BRIT and Ivor Novello awardwinning artist Marti Pellow, former frontman of Wet Wet Wet and star of Evita and Blood Brothers, leads the cast as the evil sorcerer Abanazar. The show will be produced by Qdos Entertainment, with audience participation, music and dancing and jaw-dropping special effects. With a wish-granting genie, the timeless tale of the Twankey family will have panto lovers hopping on the flying carpet. tickets
from £18 are available from orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.
LEAS CLIFF HALL, FOLKESTONE DICK WHITTINGTON
Tuesday, December 11 to Sunday, December 30 This year’s pantomime will be a treat for all the family, packed with special effects, costumes and amazing sets, comes from Ctproductions. lto book tickets go to atgtickets.com/ shows
SWALLOWS LEISURE CENTRE, SITTINGBOURNE JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Friday, December 14 to Christmas Eve Coronation Street favourite Steven Arnold, who played
Ashley Peacock for 14 years, leads the cast for this year’s panto. The star of Dancing on Ice in 2011 will play the giant’s evil henchman Fleshcreep in the Sittingbourne panto, with Katie Burke, returning after playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast last Christmas. For the third year in a row, resident dame Tilly Trott will be played by Harry Moore, with Tom Balmont as Jack and Olivia Mclaughlin as Fairy Beansprout. The cast will be joined by youngsters from the Kent School of Dance.
The opening day of the show starts with three performances at 10am, 1pm and 7pm. Ticket prices start at£8 to
book tickets from £8.50, call 01795 420420 or visit trio-entertainment.co.uk
THE HEATH PLAYERS ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Thursday, December 6 to Saturday, December 8 The Heath Players stage their annual pantomime, this year by Tom Whalley - Alice in Wonderland - will be staged at the East Malling Institute Hall. Tickets at £8 for adults and £5 for children to
book tickets call 07505 059605 or email tickets@ theheathplayers.com
WHITE ROCK THEATRE, HASTINGS JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Friday, December 14 to Sunday, December 30 Follow Jack, his hapless brother Silly Billy as they fight to save the beautiful Jill, outwit the evil Giant and Fleshcreep and win riches beyond their wildest dreams.
Eastenders and Coronation Street star Michelle Collins, who starred in the BAFTA award-winning CBBC show The Dumping Ground last year, heads to Hastings for the panto this year, after appearing Dartford last year. Michelle will be appearing alongside the former X-factor star Chico. After knocking Madonna off the top of the UK chart with his hit Chico Time, Chico swapped singing for skating and reached the final of ITV1’S Dancing on Ice. Since then he has appeared in numerous TV shows and several pantomimes. for
tickets at £20, visit whiterocktheatre.org.uk or call 01424 462288.