Dick Whittington scores two Panto Award nominations!

We’re pleased to announce that our 2019/20 pantomime, Dick Whittington, has received two nominations in the Great British Pantomime Awards 2020 – the first for Best Script, the second, Best Supporting Role (Female).

Dick Whittington was written by James Barry – his 15th panto script for us, and who has already started work on our 2020/21 pantomime, Aladdin. Last year he, and composer Simon Slater, received a nomination for the Musical Achievement Award, for their original score on our 2018/19 production, Beauty and the Beast. They have worked together as part of the creative team on our last 11 pantomimes!

Jessie Angell has received a nomination for the Best Supporting Role (Female) award, playing Dick Whittington’s Cat, her pantomime debut!

This is the third year running that one of our pantomimes has been nominated in the prestigious awards. Besides last year’s nomination, the year before, actor Ed Thorpe received a nomination for Best Songsheet Performance in our 2017/18 production, Peter Pan. Ed played the character of Smee, which was also his first ever pantomime role. He has starred in each of the theatre’s pantomimes since, playing the lead of Dick Whittington at the end of last year.

The judging team – which includes industry professionals – watched countless productions put on by venues across the UK, over the festive season and in to January. The nominations were announced online on Sunday 16 February. The winners will be revealed on Sunday 26 April 2020.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s pantomime, Aladdin, which tells the story of a young man who finds a magic lamp and longs to marry the girl of his dreams, Princess Jasmine – so long as the villainous Abanazar doesn’t get his way! With an original script and songs, and plenty of audience participation, Aladdin runs from Saturday 28 November 2020 – Sunday 03 January 2021.