Monday 29 June 2009

June - must be panto launch time!

We launched the Sleeping Beauty pantomime earlier this month. Joe Pasquale, Ray Quinn, Ceri Dupree and Lucy Evans took time out of busy schedules to head up the motorway to the Hippodrome to meet members of the press and over 150 Group bookers and Birmingham Hippodrome Friends. Producers from Qdos were also there so everyone was on their best behaviour!

It's very surreal launching pantomime in the middle of June but for many here at the theatre it's panto all year round. Tickets for Sleeping Beauty went on sale before Xmas last year so for the last six months we have already been in festive mood.

We had lots of members of the press turn up for the launch including the breakfast crew from Heart FM who had been given the task of waking Sleeping Beauty (Lucy Evans) from her slumber. Joe Pasquale, in full costume as muddles, was horsing around on a pantomime Unicorn specially for photographs (very funny!)and Ray Quinn looking handsome as the Prince was in fine form and joking around with Jenny Jones from Radio WM. But for me Ceri Dupree who plays Lady Passionella stole the day. With a figure hugging dress and a massive peacock head dress he looked amazing. He also paid tribute to the late Danny La Rue at the launch and later told me that he was going for a panto record with an amazing 20 costume changes in the show. I can't wait to see those frocks!

Joe Pasquale was funnier than ever and members of the invited audience were treated to a spot of Pasquale painting - a picture of Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I didn't know he could paint - we're going to auction the picture later this year.

Michael Harrison, is one of the country's youngest panto Director's was at the launch too. He's going to be directing Sleeping Beauty which sees the return of the amazing 3D we had in panto a couple of years ago.

After the studio performance Ray Quinn had to dash back to London for the evening performance of Grease but the rest of the cast stayed on to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

The pantomime opens here on 19 Dec so the cast will be back mid December for rehearsals - in the meantime I'll let Sleeping Beauty get off to bed for some rest!

1 comment:

  1. Sleeping Beauty looks fab,I'm coming down to watch on 6th January,can't wait xx

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