Palace Theatre Panto Stars Return for a Magical Cinderella

The Palace Theatre are delighted to announce the return of four hugely popular panto stars this Christmas. Fraser Boyle will be sporting an array of outrageous costumes once more as an Ugly Sister, with James McAnerney as his equally vile sibling, the hilarious Gary Morrison as the loveable Buttons alongside the Ali Cleland as the villainous Wicked Stepmother.

A spokesperson for The Palace said “Fraser, Gary and James have become huge favourites over the last few years and are an instrumental part of The Palace’s family focused style of pantomime and Ali received great acclaim (and plenty of boos) as Carabosse in last year’s Sleeping Beauty. Here at The Palace we pride ourselves on offering a top-quality pantomime which is suitable for all of the family to enjoy, and these performers are all a key ingredient in the success of pantomime due to their huge popularity with the panto audiences.”

This is Fraser’s fourth year as Dame and he is delighted to be back, “I have so many memories and things to look forward to every year at The Palace Theatre. From everyone who works backstage and front of house (and all our Christmas nights out!) there’s always a great team spirit and carry on to be had. I should probably say we all work hard too! But if I had to pick one favourite thing about The Palace panto I’d say it’s the audiences. This will be my fourth year at The Palace and I’m beginning to remember schools, groups and familiar faces in the audience. It’s so wonderful to see families who I recognise from the year before in the auditorium again. I feel so privileged to be able to play a part in their Christmas traditions. My Granny always took me and the rest of her grandchildren to see a pantomime every year and those memories are some of the happiest I have with my nearest and dearest. That’s what Christmas is all about. To be part of that now, as an actor, is something very special to me -  it always inspires me to give a little more (sometimes a little more than is in the script!), to make each and every performance unique and just for them. After all, without the audiences encouraging us all to make eejits out of ourselves we’d be performing to a wall!” 

Although the role of baddie is familiar to James McAnerney, less familiar will be the numerous hilarious and elaborate costumes he will be wearing as an Ugly Sister. He says “I played Dame Bella Straw (bale of straw) when I was at college in Jack and the Beanstalk and I have also played an ugly once before at Cumbernauld Theatre in their production or Cinderella but that was quite a long time ago. I am really looking forward to playing an ugly sister because it is a Dame that has been crossed with the panto baddie – two of the best roles in panto in my opinion. It is also great that you get to work so closely with the other Ugly Sister and the icing on the cake is that the other Ugly Sister is Fraser.”

“I’m so looking forward to working with Fraser and Gary again, as I think they bring so much warmth, passion and energy to the production and to the audience. And they are also great cast members to work with both on stage and off. This year I will get to work even closer with Fraser, which will be great. Although I didn’t think I would find myself saying to him, “you will need to give me some make up tips, and how to walk in heels!”

Gary could not agree more with his fellow cast members “My favourite thing about The Palace panto is without doubt the welcome that the audience gives us each year; they truly are fabulous. Also, working with Fraser and James is so much fun and a real pleasure, which definitely transfers across to the audience. We have been lucky enough to have been asked back for a number of years now and we know what The Palace audiences like and how much they are up for some festive fun!”

Ali is delighted to be back for her second year in The Palace Panto. “I loved being the baddie last year and I’m super excited to be keeping my ‘evil’ streak going. I really got into character last year by pranking some of my cast mates offstage, especially Fraser Boyle! I’ll be taking that craftiness and mischievousness back with me this year! Can’t wait!! 

Don’t miss out on the magical family panto Cinderella this festive season. The show runs from Saturday 23 November to Sunday 29 December 2019.

 To book tickets to please contact The Palace Theatre box office on 01563 554900 or visit www.eastayrshireleisure.com

Drip drip drop, little April Showers…. - Croydon Blog 3 - April 2019

Outside, time ticks on, and the signs of spring grow ever stronger. Inside the Imagine offices, April has been a month of huge activity on Cinderella at the Fairfield Halls, mixed in with the occasional shower (but thankfully no thunderstorms!) here and there! April showers really did live up to their name in the world of Cinderella.

First comes a casting shower! We are delighted to be able to announce that our Ugly Sisters have been cast! Jason Marc Williams and Alistair Barron join the Croydon cast, bringing within them a wealth of experience in pantomime. Both have appeared in the Imagine Theatre pantomimes for the past 3 years, and promise to be hilarious…. if their past on stage performances and photo shoot antics are anything to go by! They are outrageous and great fun for the whole family. There’s also some HUGE casting news to hit during May so keep your eyes peeled! We’re super excited.

Jason and Alistair get in front of the camera

There’s also been a shower of design work completed by Mark Walters! He’s sent the first design concepts through now, and we’re moving onto the next stage which is the white card model. We are so excited. The designs are absolutely stunning, and we can’t wait to let you in on some of the ideas we’ve been working on! More about that in our later blogs 😊

What an amazing place (with a fabulous name!)

25th April saw a deluge of photos being taken as the stars of Cinderella gathered together for the photo shoot. Tim Vine, Cat Sandion and our ‘Uglies’ Jason and Marc were joined by a fifth, “yet to be announced”, cast member! We spent the day at Cherry Duck Studios in Wapping, and created some great content to share with you over the coming months. We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes images we’ve shared with this blog.

How much makeup does it take to turn the Ugly Sisters Ugly? Answer - quite a lot!

The venue will be launching their first brochure shortly, the work on the space is progressing really well, and all is on schedule for the re-opening in September.

So, we move into May and all the progress and excitement that will bring – watch out for our next update… oh, and that exciting casting news!

Tim Vine has Videographer Ben and Laura from Imagine in utter hysterics as he’s recording his videos. We had to retake it several times as all you could hear was the whole room laughing out loud behind him!

Jo adds the finishing touches to Jason’s makeup

Jason Marc Williams and Alistair Barron play the Ugly sisters - and sometimes things didn’t quite go to plan at the photo shoot!!

The amazing Cat Sandion from CBeebies plays the Fairy Godmother (thanks for making her look AMAZING, Jo)

The utterly hilarious Tim Vine plays Buttons. He had us crying with laughter the whole day - here he is with his pet Boa…. don’t ask!

Who on earth does the fifth pair of shoes belong to?

Selfie Time

Cat grabs 5 minutes to put her feet up

Alistair goes for the understated look

Craig and Laura are checking out the photos of Cat

Justin Fletcher and Paul Morse Return for a Ball at The Hexagon

The Hexagon are delighted to announce that both children’s TV megastar Justin Fletcher and award-winning panto dame Paul Morse will be back in Reading this year for the magical family pantomime Cinderella.

Justin Fletcher is adored all over the country for his numerous children’s shows such as Justin’s House, Gigglebiz and Something Special, starring Mr Tumble. He received an MBE in 2008 and has won numerous BAFTA Awards.

This will be his eighth panto appearance at The Hexagon but his first as Buttons.

Justin says " I am really looking forward to playing Buttons at The Hexagon. It is always nice to play the comic as he's a friend of the audience, as well as a friend to Cinderella. It's so wonderful to have that interaction with families and see them laughing and joining in with the show as that is what panto is all about.”

Paul, who has appeared in six pantomimes at the venue, is delighted to be returning as Dame, and says of the show: “Cinderella is the classic rags to riches tale which we can all believe and hope in. It has to be one of the most magical pantomimes of them all with an extra-large dose of comedy and slapstick to go with it. It is my seventh time in Cinderella and I just adore it!”

“What I love about panto season is the reaction of the audience, we are so lucky in Reading that the audiences are always there in full voice and ready to have a good time. I get a lot of letters from families telling me they come every year and that Christmas officially starts once they have been to our show, it's such a joy to be a part of their Christmas tradition and what a wonderfully British bonkers tradition it is!”

“This will be mine and Justin’s fifth year working together and it is a real joy. It's a great feeling when you work as a double act as dame and comic do, that whatever happens on that stage we can run with it, support each other and have the pay off getting a laugh from the audience. I think the audience picks up that we are both having a great time together and making each other laugh which is infectious for an audience and they can feel safe in the knowledge they can join in and have a good time with us too.”

Don’t miss your chance to see Justin and Paul in the magical family pantomime Cinderella which runs from Saturday 7 December 2019 – Sunday 5 January 2020. With last year’s Aladdin proving a smash hit with audiences The Hexagon recommend booking tickets early.

For full details call the box office on 0118 9606060 or log on to www.readingarts.com

Marching into Cinderella - Croydon Blog 2 - March 2019

Whenever we’re asked what we do and we respond that we’re pantomime producers, one of the questions we can guarantee we’ll get asked is “what do you do for the rest of the year?”. Our response is always to explain that, pantomime is for life, not just for Christmas! It may seem like we’re a long way from panto season 2019, but here at Imagine we’ve been working on this particular production of Cinderella for a year already. Bearing this in mind, when we tell people that we’ve been busy working on pantomime in March, we do get some very strange looks!

 Focus is still very much on Mark Walters (designer) and the designs he has planned for Cinderella. He and George Wood (director) recently met to discuss the creative vision for the show and how the scripting, design and musical planning will all hang together. We can’t wait for the next production meeting when Mark presents his thoughts to us in more detail.

 Sarah and Laura from Imagine also headed down to central London to meet Kevin and Emily from the Fairfield Halls marketing team to finalise the marketing plan and timeline. It’s really strange talking about planning to use the digital screens inside a building when we can’t actually see them, only plans and diagrams of what they will look like and where they will be positioned!

 Casting is well and truly under way. The production team are now in talks with agents to bring the rest of the cast together to surround the already announced Tim Vine and Cat Sandion. More announcements on this soon!

 We are also delighted to welcome a couple more members of the production team to the ‘Cinderella Family’. John Young joins us as production manager for the project, and the fabulous Jamie Corbidge joins us as lighting designer. We’re thrilled to have both of them on board for the project and their reputation and expertise in the theatre industry speaks for itself. We’ll do more of a feature on them both in later blogs. This production of Cinderella really is going to be something special.

 This month also saw Fairfield Halls have a visit from a real Royal Prince! Prince Edward visited the venue to check up on the progress of the refurbishment. It’s great to know that a Royal Prince has checked out the suitability of the Halls for us in advance of panto!

 The other news that we’d like to share is the date of the children’s ensemble auditions. It’s Sunday 30th June and auditions are to be held at Braithwaite Hall. We’re looking for 3 teams of 8 children to take part in the show. More information can be found at http://www.imaginetheatre.co.uk/pantomimes/2019-cinderella-croydon.

 These auditions are open to all children of all backgrounds and performance experience, who are in year 4 and no younger than 9 years of age on the first day of rehearsals (Saturday 23rd November 2019) to year 11 and no older than 16 years of age on the final performance (Sunday 5th January 2020). Please note that the auditions are for dance only. We will not be asking children to sing or act. You don’t need to register with us in advance – just turn up on the day. We’d love to see as many young people as possible for registration at 9:30am on Sunday 30th June.

 So off we head into April, looking forward to seeing what it has in store for us all!

Photos by Kevin Quilty, Head of Marketing, Fairfield Halls

Open Auditions for Junior Dancers for Cinderella at Fairfield Halls

On Sunday 30 June Fairfield Halls will be holding open auditions for children to be part of the Junior Ensemble in their magical family pantomime Cinderella.

The auditions are open to boys and girls aged 9-16 in school years 4-11 at the time of the production and those successful in obtaining a part in the show will be starring alongside comedian Tim Vine and CBeebies’ Cat Sandion.

Steve Boden, Managing Director of Imagine Theatre who are producing the pantomime, says “this will not only be our first time producing panto in Croydon, but the first pantomime to take place in the newly refurbished Fairfield Halls which is very exciting.”

“We will be looking for 3 teams of children to take part in the show, and as well as dancing ability we look for children who have that special something extra that makes them stand out from the crowd.”

“We like to hold open auditions as it gives any child of the right age who wishes to take part a chance, regardless if they attend a dance school or have any previous experience, this audition is open to everybody and it’s a great opportunity for children from the local community to get involved and appear at this amazing theatre.”

“Performing in a professional production is a fabulous and rewarding opportunity for the children and is always a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of hard work.”

Full details on the auditions, including further information on age and attendance requirements and regulations, as well as the application forms can be found on Fairfield Halls website or www.imaginetheatre.co.uk. Application forms do not need to be submitted in advance although where possible please complete them beforehand and bring with you to save time on audition day.

Please note that due to the refurbishment of Fairfield Halls the auditions are taking place at Braithwaite Hall in Katherine Street.

Cinderella runs from 10th December 2019 to 5th January 2020.

Tickets start from £15 and are already on sale so grab your tickets to the best ball in town!

Online – Fairfield.co.uk

Phone – 0203 292 0002

Groups 10+ - 0203 292 003

Cinderella Is Throwing Us Into a Spin-derella! - Croydon Blog 1 - February 2019

It’s a month now since Imagine Theatre were announced as the producers of pantomime at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, and it’s been quite a month for us!

Even though Imagine have produced pantos all over the country for almost two decades, this project is unlike anything we have ever worked on before. Why is this? It’s because whilst the building is still being refurbished and isn’t open to the public, we’re not able to actually go into a venue, look around and work out our plans from a physical space.  Sure, the concert hall actually exists and we’ve stood on the stage – but it’s full of scaffolding. We know there are lifts in the floor, but we can’t see them because they’re covered in protective cladding. We know there will be seats in the auditorium, but we can’t sit in them to work out sight lines because they’re not actually there. We can’t even see from the back of the space to the stage as the scaffolding is so thick.

So what can we work with? Lots of plans (and we mean LOTS) and lots of measurements (and we mean LOTS!).

Cinderella is going to be unique and exciting. It’s going to be a family focussed pantomime suitable for all the family with some really amazing wow moments, but played in the unique setting of a concert hall rather than a traditional proscenium arch theatre. It’s a blank space, and we have to take it from a space suitable for orchestras and choirs, to the magical, exciting and vibrant realm of pantomime.

To create a project like this takes real team work, and each person doing their bit at the right time.

Initially it’s the job of Mark Walters, our designer, to come up with the concepts for the show. It’s his amazing vision which will bring the world of Cinderella alive. And to say that he held 8 adults utterly spellbound at the second production meeting on Monday 25th February is an absolute understatement. His ideas are remarkable, his concepts are ingenious, and his imagination is endless. We sat open mouthed as he described his vision for bringing Cinderella’s world to life.

Mark’s brief isn’t just to design the set, but also to bring the costuming to life, and again his thoughts and ideas were breath-taking.

We will let you into a bit more of the secret as the year progresses and Mark’s ideas start to turn from ideas on paper into set models and then finally into the reality of a full production.

In the meantime, the work continues. Cinderella at the Fairfield Halls is going to be an amazing experience. Don’t miss out, because trust us, if Mark’s design concepts are anything to go by, Cinderella really will go to the ball, and blow you away all at the same time.

Pantomime returns to the Fairfield Halls, Croydon with Cinderella starring Tim Vine and Cat Sandion

Fairfield Halls in Croydon are teaming up with production company Imagine Theatre to bring the most magical pantomime of them all, Cinderella, to Croydon audiences in December 2019.

The eagerly awaited refurbished Fairfield Halls opens in September and the pantomime will be at the heart of the Autumn/Winter season. The family pantomime will star comedian Tim Vine as Buttons and CBeebies star Cat Sandion as the Fairy Godmother.

Tim Vine is a comedian and presenter, known for his one-liner jokes, and his role on Not Going Out. Tim frequently sells out his stand-up tours and has released a number of DVDs of his comedy and has written several joke books. In 2010 and 2014, Vine won the award for best joke at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. His many TV appearances include The Royal Variety Show; ITV’s ‘The Sketch Show’ which won a BAFTA. He appeared in 5 series of the award-winning sitcom ‘Not Going Out’ and he played Beach the Butler in series two of Blandings. Other TV shows include Live at the Apollo, Q.I, winning Celebrity Mastermind, hosting ITV game show ‘Don’t Blow The Inheritance, a regular on Celebrity Squares, a regular on Countdown’s Dictionary Corner. And for Comic Relief he appeared on ‘Fame Academy’, dancing on ‘Let’s Dance’ as Justin Timberlake and playing darts on ‘Let’s Play Darts’ as well as popping up in a Downton Abbey spoof. And on Celebrity Total Wipeout he fell off everything! He is one of this generations best comedians and is perfect for panto with his family friendly humour.

Cat Sandion will be instantly recognisable to the younger members of the audience. Cat is one of the leading presenters on the BAFTA Award winning channel CBeebies is best known for her singing and dancing, she brings her energetic moves and catchy songs to many pre-schoolers and parents alike with her hit show Magic Door! Cat has been a firm favourite on CBeebies over the past few years, besides her residency in the CBeebies house she has also been a part of numerous shows and pantos most notably with her roles as Alice in Alice and Wonderland and Tinker Bell in Peter Pan and also as a main character in the hugely successful Justin's House.

Producer for Imagine Theatre, Steve Boden says ‘We are absolutely thrilled to have been asked to produce the pantomime at the Fairfield Halls. We have secured a brilliant and highly experienced creative team coupled with the casting of Tim and Cat, this show is already shaping up to be an absolutely spectacular show which will be suitable for all the family. We hope to bring a show that has everything, a magical story, big song and dance numbers, hilarious slapstick comedy, bags of audience participation and some special effects that have never been seen in pantomime before. There will also be some further star casting announced later in the year so watch this space’.

Neil Chandler, General Manager of the Fairfield Halls, Croydon says:- “It was always important to us that pantomime, being historically such a large part of the Fairfield program, was relevant and exciting for both the Croydon audience and our wider community. Our partnership with Imagine Theatre allows us to create a pantomime that is exclusive to and reflective of our diverse borough. Just as many other London boroughs have steered away from the formulaic brand of pantomime we are surrounded by we are proudly presenting what will be a very traditional and family focused production”

The show will be directed by George Wood, formerly Associate Producer of First Family Entertainment. During his career George has worked on over 200 pantomimes. George has directed numerous pantomimes including Cinderella at the Manchester Opera House and the Milton Keynes Theatre, Sleeping Beauty at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley.

Cinderella will be designed by Mark Walters. Mark is a well-established professional theatre designer, working in the industry for over 20 years and with a highly regarded reputation for his pantomime designs at theatres throughout the UK.

Choreographer on the pantomime is Lynne Thomas. Born and educated in Croydon Lynne went on to achieve the inaugural first class BA honours degree at London Studio Centre.  Working as a dancer and dance captain she travelled the world with the award winning Princess Cruises production shows.  Time in the original West End production of ‘The Producers’ and subsequent tour was followed by tv commercials, west end choreography, children’s television and choreographing the 90th festival of Remembrance with the BBC.  This is Lynne’s 10th year teaching and heading the dance programme at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as well as choreographing the annual BA MT course musical and end of year West End showcase.

Will the evil Ugly Sisters thwart the path of true love for Cinderella and her Prince Charming or will her Fairy Godmother help save the day? Bring the whole family along to the Fairfield Halls this Christmas to find out, you’ll have a ball!

Cinderella runs from 10th December 2019 to 5th January 2020.

Tickets start from £15 and go on sale today

Online – Fairfield.co.uk

Phone – 0203 292 0002

Cinderella Cast Set for a Ball at FTH Theatre This Christmas

FTH Theatre are delighted to announce the full casting for the spectacular family pantomime Cinderella.

As previously announced River City star Sally Howitt will be playing the Wicked Stepmother, Baroness Demonica, with local singing sensation Barbara Bryceland as the Fairy Godmother. Joining them are Craig Glover and Derek McGhie as the Ugly Sisters Sadie and Senga, Christie Gowans in the title role of Cinderella, John Winchester as the loveable Buttons, Adam Morgan as the dashing Prince Charming and Scott Watson as Dandini.

Derek McGhie is delighted to be playing one half of the most despicable duo in panto-land having previously played Ugly Sister two years ago in Kirkcaldy.

“The best thing about playing an Ugly is that you have a partner in crime to share the madness with - it’s two for the price of one! I love playing an Ugly Sister as you get to be bad, daft and outrageous all at the same time. And the costumes are always hysterical!”

 “I have never worked with Craig before but we have been friends for a long time and have even spent time on holiday together. In fact the first time I played an Ugly Sister it was Craig I went to for advice on make-up!  A double act is always easier when you know and trust your partner.”

“I am really looking forward to spending the festive season at FTH. I have a lot of friends in Falkirk and am often in town, I’ve been to the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies but have never visited the theatre. I think it’s always exciting to discover a new theatre space and to perform to a whole new audience.” 

Christie Gowans who is playing Cinderella says “Cinderella is probably the most iconic fairy tale Princess and I am very excited at getting to play her. The moment when the Fairy Godmother transforms her into a Princess for the ball is truly magical.”

The show runs from Thursday 6 – Monday 24 December 2018 so hurry and get your tickets to the ball.

To book tickets to please contact box office on 01324 506850 or visit www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org

Junior Chorus Auditions for Falkirk's Cinderella This Weekend!

This Saturday, 25 August, we will be holding open auditions for children aged 9-16* to take part in the Junior Chorus of Cinderella at FTH Theatre. *Please visit the venue page on our website for further information. - http://www.imaginetheatre.co.uk/pantomimes/2018-cinderella-falkirk

Stars of Falkirk’s First Professional Panto Announced

Panto-goers in Falkirk are set for a ball this festive season with the spectacular family panto Cinderella. FTH have teamed up with Imagine Theatre, one of the country’s top pantomime producers, to stage their first professional pantomime and they are delighted to be able announce that the show will star River City’s Sally Howitt as the Wicked Stepmother and Falkirk’s own Barbara Bryceland as Fairy Godmother.

Sally Howitt is a familiar face across Scotland due to her role as Scarlett Adams in the highly popular River City.  Sally has appeared in pantomime in Kilmarnock for the last two years and is delighted to have been asked to perform in Falkirk this season.

“I am really excited to be part of Falkirk’s first professional pantomime and cannot wait to be a baddie again as it is so much fun. I enjoy the live performance of panto and there is nothing like hearing the whoops of excitement from the audience as the lights go down and knowing you are about to take them away from real life for a few hours into a magical story, and Cinderella is one of the most magical of them all!”

Barbara Bryceland shot to fame on the X Factor back in 2007 and quickly became a household name throughout Scotland and was back on our screens in 2012 in The Voice, being mentored by the legendary Tom Jones. Barbara now performs all over the world and is excited to be taking on the challenge of her first ever pantomime in the town she now calls home.

Steve Boden, Managing Director of Imagine Theatre, says “We are very excited about producing Cinderella in Falkirk this year and we promise to put on a stunning show with a fabulous cast, an amazing set and costumes and a lot of hilarious slapstick. Having worked with Sally in the past we know what an amazing baddie she is, and Barbara has such a wonderful voice she is just perfect for the role of Fairy Godmother.”

The show runs from Friday 7 – Monday 24 December 2018 so hurry and get your tickets to the ball.

To book tickets to please contact box office on 01324 506850 or visit www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org