'Now make a wish and take a bite.' Actor and comedian Dawn French will be making her debut in pantomime this holiday season, starring as the Wicked Queen. French is perhaps best known for her roles in French and Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley. The production will be the actress's first West End bill in two years, having last starred in 30 Million Minutes at the Vaudeville Theatre back in 2016.
Starring as the queen's evil sidekick, The Man in the Mirror, is none other than pantomime veteran Julian Clary, who previously starred in the London Palladium's Dick Whittington and Cinderella. Clary is renowned for his campy-style comedy. He has performed in numerous stand-up comedy shows and has even done improv on Whose Line Is It Anyway?. The actor is out and proud, and with his extensive experience in both panto and improvisation, he is sure to bring amusing flamboyance and energetic flair to the role.
Other cast members include Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace-Mistry as The King and The Queen, Gary Wilmot as Mrs Crumble, Paul Zerdin as Muddles, and Nigel Havers as The Understudy. Andrew Martin, Ben Goffe, Blake Lisle, Craig Garner, Jamie John, Josh Bennett, and Simeon Dyer will star as The Magnificent Seven (The Seven Dwarves).
Final casting for Snow White herself and the prince have yet to be announced.
Snow White is directed by Michael Harrison (Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, The Bodyguard: The Musical, Annie) and features costume design by Hugh Durrant, set design by Ian Westbrook (Chicago), lighting by Ben Cracknell (Young Frankenstein, Cinderella), visual special effects (SFX) by The Twins FX, and original music by Gary Hind (The Lion King).
Mirror mirror on the wall, what's the fairest panto of them all? This upcoming, fabulous panto production of Snow White is set to run at the London Palladium from 8 December to 13 January 2019.
Take a bite from the apple this Christmas and be sure to book early to avoid disappointment!
Tickets to see the Snow White pantomime go on sale on Friday, 4 May 2018. You can purchase your tickets here.