Panto is back at Cambridge Arts Theatre this week.
This year's spectacular panto, Aladdin, opens on Thursday, December 2 and is scheduled to run until Sunday, January 9, 2022.
The show's cast includes returning Cambridge Arts Theatre favourites, TV stars with credits including EastEnders and Waterloo Road, and West End regulars.
Returning for his 16th Arts Theatre pantomime is Cambridge’s number one dame Matt Crosby as Widow Twankey.
Crosby’s pantomime roles in Cambridge include Dame Trott in 2020’s Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver and Ugly Sister opposite Wayne Sleep in 2019’s Cinderella.
Recent theatre credits include To Sir, With Love (Birmingham Rep) and Antigone (Storyhouse).
Leading the cast is West End actor Rachel Lumberg, who stars as the Empress.
With extensive theatre, television and film credits to her name, Rachel’s most recent role was Auntie Annie in the National Theatre’s production of East is East.
Other theatre credits include The Full Monty (West End), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (West End) and Calendar Girls (UK tour).
Television, film and West End actor Rolan Bell transforms into Cambridge’s most dastardly villain Abanazar.
Previously appearing in Cambridge Arts Theatre pantomimes between 2011-2013, Bell’s subsequent roles include Theo Kelly in EastEnders and Sergeant King (Kingy) in BBC One’s hit TV drama Our Girl, opposite Michelle Keegan.
Back for his third Christmas in Cambridge is Isaac Stanmore as Wishy-Washy.
Previous Arts Theatre credits include Buttons in 2019’s Cinderella and Wishy-Washy in 2020’s Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver.
Recent theatre credits include The 39 Steps (New Vic) and Hetty Feather (Nuffield Southampton/Theatre Royal Bath).
Carl Au stars in the title role of Aladdin.
Best known for his role as Barry Barry in Waterloo Road, Au’s other credits include Cilla the Musical (UK tour) and South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Aiesha Pease stars as Spirit of the Ring.
Pease’s extensive musical theatre credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK tour), Sister Act (Leicester Curve and international tour) and Hairspray (UK and Ireland tour).
Actor and dancer Jak Allen-Anderson stars as the Genie, whose credits include Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK tour), Cats (international tour) and a dancer and can-can soloist at Paris’ Moulin Rouge.
Completing the principal cast is Megan-Hollie Robertson as Princess Poppy.
Robertson’s theatre credits include performances in Annie (UK tour), South Pacific (UK tour) and The Crucible (Storyhouse).
Aladdin is directed by Michael Gattrell (Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver, Dear Zoo) and is written by Al Lockhart-Morley (Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver, Cinderella), Cambridge Arts Theatre’s resident pantomime writer since 2014.
Aladdin opens on Thursday, December 2, 2021 and runs until Sunday, January 9, 2022. For ticket prices visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
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