West End Cast Announced for Cinderella with David Essex as the Video Guest Star!
The producers behind the lavish new family pantomime, Cinderella, which opens on the 22nd December at The Hilton Brighton Metropole, have announced their cast for the show.
The line-up, which will see David Essex appear on screen as Baron Hardup, includes West End performers, Jon Robyns as Prince Charming: currently starring in The Wedding Singer, Sister Act, Chitty Chitty Bang, Spamalot & Legally Blonde, Joseph Peters: Jersey Boys, All or Nothing, Les Miserables (Film), as Dandini and Alasdair Buchan: Urinetown: the musical, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Film), playing one half of the repugnant ugly sisters Donaldina and Melania. Completing the disgusting duo is none other than Cinderella co-producer and career pantomime dame David Hill: Cinderella (starring Julian Clary), Rocky Horror Show, Dora. Finally, the cast boasts a host of local celebrities in Lou Nash and Alex Baker from Juice 107.2, playing The Lord and Lady Chamberlain, Keris Lea from The Sundaes playing The Fairy Godmother and Dean Kilford from Latest TV, 1 Brighton FM and BBC Sussex, as Cinderella's happy-go-lucky best friend, Buttons.
Speaking about the production David said: ‘The reaction to Cinderella has been overwhelming and we've already added an extra date due to the demand for tickets. We have secured a first class cast for this production and I'm very proud to be part of it’.
A county-wide 'Search for Cinders' was mounted just over a month ago which resulted in over three hundred applications from actresses hoping to play Cinderella. Co-Producer and writer of the new show, Tim Newman, commented ‘Hannah Bailey who will be playing Cinderella offers us everything we were hoping for in this part and I know that every young girl in the audience will fall in love with her. I'm not sure what Hannah is more excited about, playing Cinders or having David Essex as her father in the show!’
Cinderella is being produced by Brighton Premiere, which is a collaboration of two Brighton based companies, E3 (who produce events such as The Grand Brighton Half Marathon and The Snowman Spectacular Ball on behalf of Chestnut Tree House) and The Brighton Academy of Performing Arts (in association with Stephen Mear, Matthew Bourne, Bill Deamer, Carole Todd, Mary Hammond and Killian Donnelly).
The creative team is also comprised of West End stars, and even has two cast members from 2015's Disney's live action version of Cinderella within its ranks! It will be directed by Stuart Dawes: We Will Rock You, Passion, Spamalot and Tim Newman: Memphis the musical, Mamma Mia, All the Fun of The Fair, with choreography from Emma Green: Wicked, Grease, Fame the musical and Kate Alexander: Hairspray, Starlight Express, Guys and Dolls. The live band will be under the musical direction of Alex Turney: Once, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Olivier Awards.
This spectacular new production, which features a huge LED video wall and one of the largest pantomime casts in the country is only half of the experience. Ticket holders to the 750-seated auditorium, will also enjoy free entrance to a magical Christmas Fayre including delicious food options, dodgems and a chance to meet Santa himself! Each performance will also be raising money for the three biggest children’s charities in Sussex, Chailey Heritage Foundation, Chestnut Tree House and Rockinghorse
Tickets can be purchased by going onto www.brightonfamilypanto.com
