John Elkington will play Dame Daisy Trott in Nottingham Playhouse’s 2024 panto Jack and the Beanstalk—26 years after his first panto at the venue.
Tom Hopcroft, who was one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella in 2023, will be Fleshcreep—the first time he has played the baddie. Jewelle Hutchinson, who won best newcomer in the 2023 Panto Awards for Cinderella, will take the role of Jill, while Alice Redmond will be Pat the Cow. Bradley Judge will play Silly Billy and Caroline Parker will be the Fairy Godmother.
Adam Penford, the Playhouse’s artistic director who will also write and direct Jack and the Beanstalk, said, “with the wonderful John Elkington as our dame, Jack and the Beanstalk offers a crazy adventure with larger-than-life characters, lots of fun and fabulous music, an underdog hero and a loveable cow. This year we’re also celebrating musical director John Morton’s 35th anniversary of panto at Nottingham Playhouse.”
The creative team includes designer Cleo Pettitt, choreographer Rosanna Bates, lighting designer Tim Mitchell, sound designer Paul Groothuis and casting directors Natalie Gallacher CDG and Richard Johnston.
Fourteen Nottinghamshire youngsters will appear as the youth chorus, playing farmyard characters from scarecrows to chickens and assisting Fleshcreep with his mischievous plans. The Inman team are Alexander Bunka, Lola-Mae Brown, Nathan Hayward, Mia Jacks, Gracie Nkala, Isabella Oguagwu and Malikea Smith. The Biggins team are Louis Gillespie, Nevaeh Jouhal, William Kent, Matilda Lamb, Amiya Maxwell, Anna Nguyen and Lois Westwick.
Jack and the Beanstalk will run from Friday 29 November until Saturday 18 January 2025.