Marti Pellow, Julian Clary, Lee Mead, Matt Slack and Andrew Ryan head the cast of Aladdin, Birmingham Hippodrome’s 2015 panto.
Pellow will play evil sorcerer Abanazar. The solo artist and frontman of the group Wet Wet Wet has appeared in many theatre productions including Chicago, both in the West End and on Broadway, and tours of The Witches of Eastwick, Blood Brothers and Jekyll and Hyde. He starred as Che in a UK tour of Evita which culminated in a London season at the Dominion Theatre in 2014.
Julian Clary will play Spirit of the Ring. He has headlined some of the biggest pantos in the UK and was Spirit of the Bells opposite Joan Collins in Dick Whittington at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2010.
Lee Mead, best known for winning the BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do which led to the title role in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is Aladdin. Since then he has had lead roles in Wicked and Legally Blonde in the West End.
Birmingham favourite Matt Slack returns for his third consecutive panto at the Hippodrome to play Wishee Washee while Andrew Ryan, in his 30th panto, will play Widow Twankey.
Produced by Qdos Entertainment, Aladdin will be directed by Michael Harrison who has directed the record-breaking Hippodrome panto for the past four years.
He said, “each member of our stellar cast is hugely talented and, combined with the special effects, comedy and top-drawer production values, Aladdin promises to be another unmissable Christmas show at Birmingham Hippodrome, the home of pantomime.”
Aladdin runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Saturday 19 December until Sunday 31 January.