THE first cast members for the upcoming pantomime have been announced ahead of the show at Theatre Royal Winchester this November.

As previously reported, this year’s panto will be Cinderella.

The classic tale tells the story of a girl forced to become a servant in her own home under the gaze of her evil stepmother and stepsisters. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, she is able to steal the attention of a prince at a ball, wearing newly-gifted, perfectly-fitting glass slippers. However, she must leave the ball by 12, which creates chaos in the life of the prince that has quickly become infatuated with her.

Beloved duo Julian Eardley and Ed Thorpe will be returning to stages together for Cinderella after previously appearing as Widow Twanky and Wishee Washee in the theatre’s production of Aladdin in 2021. This time around, the pair will be appearing together as Julian takes on the role of the Fairy Godmother and Ed plays Buttons.

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The pantomime will be held at Theatre Royal Winchester, produced by Play to the Crowd who are an arts and education charity that also run events such as Winchester’s Hat Fair and supported by their corporate partner Paris Smith. Throughout 2019 and 2020, more than 75,000 people enjoyed shows that were held at Theatre Royal Winchester courtesy of Play to the Crowd.

The show will be family friendly and widely accessible, including being audio-described, BSL-interpreted, having a touch tour, and being able to be livestreamed at home.

Cinderella will be playing at Theatre Royal Winchester starting Thursday, November 30 until Monday, January 1. For more information, including booking tickets, visit the Theatre Royal website or call 01962 840 440.