Nottingham native Sherrie Hewson will lead the cast of Beauty and the Beast at the city’s Theatre Royal, taking the role of Mrs Potty.
Ben Richards plays the Beast. He was Stacee Jaxx in the tour of Chris D’Arienzo’s Rock of Ages in 2014, Bill Sikes in Lionel Bart’s Oliver! at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in 2013 and Franklyn Hart in the tour of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical in 2013.
Ben Nickless will appear in his fourth Theatre Royal panto, as will Andrew Ryan for whom Beauty and the Beast marks his 31st panto, his 27th as dame. He also directs. In 2016 he played Styler in Anthony Horowitz’s Mindgame on tour for Tabs Productions.
Jonathan Saville, the Theatre Royal’s director of sales, marketing and development, said, “incredibly we haven’t had a pantomime production of Beauty and the Beast since 1867.
“With Sherrie being Nottinghamshire born and bred, I think it’ll feel a bit like one big, happy family reunion here at the Theatre Royal this Christmas.”
Beauty and the Beast runs from Saturday 9 December until Sunday 14 January 2018.