CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
GRAND OPERA HOUSE PANTOMIME
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
LYNNE McGRANGER (Home and Away) ANTONY COSTA (Blue) DEBBIE McGEE (TV personality) KEN MORLEY (TV’s Allo Allo & Coronation Street)
STUART WADE (York’s favourite for the 5th year) STEVE WICKENDEN (Britain’s classiest Dame returns) AUDREY LAYBOURNE (One of Les Dawson’s Roly Polys)
and CHARLOTTE MACLACHLAN (as Beauty)
And introducing ERAGON of YORK, Yorkshire’s only flying dragon.
Friday 15 December 2017 – Sunday 7 January 2018
BLUE singer Antony Costa and Home And Away soap star Lynne McGranger will join Stuart Wade, Debbie McGee and dame Steve Wickenden in the Grand Opera House pantomime, Beauty And The Beast, this winter in York.
Presented by producers Three Bears Productions in their second year at the Cumberland Street theatre, the show also will feature Ken Morley, from the television series ‘Allo ‘Allo! and Coronation Street and assorted double-glazing adverts; Audrey Laybourne, formerly one of Les Dawson’s Roly Polys, and Lincoln musical actress, model and singer Charlotte Maclachlan.
Three Bears Productions, the company run by writer-producer Chris Moreno, co-producer Russ Spencer and actor-director Stuart Wade, made their Grand Opera House debut last Christmas with Aladdin and now return with another spectacular pantomime, with lots of surprises. Beauty And The Beast is sure to be the Biggest and the Beast in Yorkshire. Expect new flying special effects with Eragon of York, Yorkshire’s only flying dragon, a truly horrorflying experience! Plus a scary haunted bedroom scene with ghosts, ghoulies and goblins.
Antony Costa, who will play the Prince/Beast, will be making his second appearance of 2017 at the Grand Opera House. From October 16 to 21, he will star in the The Classic Thriller Theatre Company’s touring production of Ruth Rendell’s A Judgement In Stone.
Lynne McGranger is cast as Wizadora Crabapple after playing the Wicked Queen in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs in 2009-2010 and Witch Blackweed in Jack And The Beanstalk in 2003-2004.
Stuart Wade, in his fifth Opera House panto, will take the daft lad role of Hudson, The Beast’s manservant; Debbie McGee will be in fairy mode as Adorabella Marigold Angelpie, and classy dame
Steve Wickenden will play Mirabelle, Belle’s sister. Ken Morley will be Maurice, Belle’s father; Audrey Leybourne, Potty T Potts, and Charlotte MacLachlan, Belle, alias Beauty.
Mr Moreno said: “Three Bears Productions were thrilled that all panto box-office records at the Grand Opera House were broken last Christmas with Aladdin. We’re pleased to announce a brand new production of Beauty And The Beast with some very exciting special effects and fabulous sets and costumes.”
General manager Lizzie Richards said: “This pantomime title is a first for the Grand Opera House and we’re all looking forward to this year’s star cast.”
BOOK NOW FOR A BEAST OF A PANTOMIME AT
GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK
Tickets from £15.75 from box office on 0844 871 3024 or online at www.atgtickets.com/york
Schools and Family rates available.