With Easter pantomimes having now wound down before their May bank holiday reboot, it's time to look ahead to the Christmas season and news that the UK's biggest pantomime has announced its first star...
For the third year running, Matt Slack returns to the Birmingham Hippodrome for Qdos Entertainment, this time as Wishee Washee in Aladdin, whilst Michelle McManus makes her Qdos debut as Mimi the Magical Mermaid alongside David Hasselhoff and the Krankies at the SECC, Glasgow. In Dartford, Shane Richie gets set to play Dick Whittington at the Orchard Theatre with John Challis, Jake Canuso and Lisa Riley adding to the star tally in the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford's Jack and the Beanstalk.
For Imagine Theatre, JP McCue dons a dress to play Dame Trot at the Spa Centre, Leamington Spa whilst over in Newark Ian Norton gets ready for another season as Ugly Sister.
Making the jump from St Helens Theatre Royal to the Liverpool Empire, panto comic Liam Mellor joins First Family Entertainment whilst Rab C Nesbitt star Gregor Fisher returns to the King's Theatre, Glasgow after a panto absence of over thirty years to play the Henchmen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs alongside Des Clarke's Muddles and Juliet Cadzow's Wicked Queen.
It's been a busy month for Magic Beans Pantomimes; not only have they been touring the country with The Pirates of Treasure Island, they also announced the star billing at their three venues for 2015. EastEnders star Ricky Norwood will play the Sheriff of Nottingham at the Woodville Halls, Gravesend with Edele and Keavy Lynch from B*Witched starring as the Witch of the Woods and Fairy of the Forest.
In Sevenoaks, their brother Shane Lynch of Boyzone fame returns to the venue after 2012's Abanazar to play Captain Hook in a new title for the company with Jamie Foreman as Smee and in Dunstable Blue's Antony Costa takes on the role of Prince Charming alongside Mawaan Rizwan as Buttons.
Having scared children witless in St Albans as Fleshcreep last year, Steve McFadden returns to the role this year at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley with Rebecca Keatley fending him off as the Fairy.
Celebrating their second year in Chatham, Sue Holderness leads the cast of Beauty and the Beast at the Central Theatre for Jordan Productions, whilst Shaun Williamson and returning Dame Ian Marr top the bill for The Adventures of Robin Hood at the Kings Lynn Corn Exchange.
In Redhill, Lee Latchford-Evans plays Aladdin for Paul Holman Associates who will also produce the title in Derby's new arena with Joseph Elliott and Richard David-Caine from CBeebies' Swashbuckle as the Chinese Policemen. In Chesterfield, Jonathan Ansell plays the Prince in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the company, whilst in Bridlington, Arthur Bostrom takes on the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan.
For UK Productions, Philip Martin Brown plays Abanazar in Mansfield whilst Dani Harmer reprises her role of Cinderella in Tunbridge Wells. In Bath, Katy Ashworth stars in Jack and the Beanstalk with Su Pollard as the Wicked Queen in Blackpool's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Having appeared together in Bournemouth in 2013, Scott Maslen and Bobby Crush are reunited in Aladdin in Bromley.
Rounding up this month's celebrity casting, Kim Taylforth and Angela Webb star in Beauty and the Beast at the Deco Theatre, Northampton and in Norwich, Richard Gauntlett and Ben Langley return for another year of fun in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
A whole host of theatres have announced their titles for the season ahead, including Above the Stag's Tinderella: Cinders Slips It In! and the return of Johnny McKnight on stage in his latest panto for Macrobert, Stirling The Little Mermaid. In York, The Opera House will see Jack and the Beanstalk staged whilst Cinderella returns to the Lyric, Hammersmith.
And if you can't wait until then, Òran Mór, Glasgow has announced that this year's panto as part of their 'A Play, A Pie and A Pint' season is the Pie-Eyed Piper of Hamilton. Tickets are on sale now.