Day replaces Osmond in Birmingham’s Peter Pan

Published: 6 January 2019
Reporter: Steve Orme

Darren Day as Captain Hook Credit: Simon Hadley
Matt Slack with his dedicated named seat Credit: Simon Hadley

Darren Day has replaced Jimmy Osmond as Captain Hook in the Birmingham Hippodrome panto Peter Pan.

As previously reported, 55-year-old Osmond suffered a stroke after completing the performance of Peter Pan on Thursday 27 December and was driven straight to hospital.

The Hippodrome’s artistic director and chief executive Fiona Allan said, “Darren is a well-versed panto veteran and a true audience favourite. We look forward to sharing his villainous performance with our loyal audiences for the remainder of the run.” Peter Pan continues until Sunday 27 January.

Meanwhile, Hippodrome panto favourite Matt Slack, who is celebrating his sixth consecutive season at the theatre, has been presented with a dedicated seat in the stalls with a plaque that reads, “Matt Slack, making Birmingham laugh 6 years and counting, 2018”.

Slack said, “it’s a real honour to have been given my own dedicated named seat. Thanks to all at Birmingham Hippodrome and Qdos Pantomimes plus my fiancée Jess. An extra huge thank you goes to the audiences for their continued support.”

Since his first appearance in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 2013, Slack has shared the stage with the likes of Stephanie Beacham, Beverley Knight, Marti Pellow, Julian Clary, John Barrowman and Jane McDonald. By the time the current production draws to a close, he will have clocked up more than 430 appearances on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage, making a total of 1,075 hours of performing.

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