PANTO IS
BACK!
CAMBRIDGE
ARTS THEATRE’S SPECTACULAR PANTOMIME CAST IS ANNOUNCED
Thursday 2
December 2021 – Sunday 9 January 2022
Cambridge Arts Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast of
this year’s spectacular family pantomime, Aladdin!
Leading the cast is West End actor Rachel Lumberg, who stars
as the Empress. With extensive theatre, television and film credits to her
name, Lumberg’s most recent role was Auntie Annie in the National Theatre’s
production of East is East. Other theatre credits include The Full
Monty (West End); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (West End) and Calendar
Girls (UK tour).
Television, film and West End actor Rolan Bell transforms
into Cambridge’s most dastardly villain Abanazar. Previously appearing in
Cambridge Arts Theatre pantomimes between 2011-2013, Bell’s subsequent roles
include Theo Kelly in EastEnders and Sergeant King (Kingy) in BBC One’s hit
TV Drama Our Girl, opposite Michelle Keegan.
Returning for his sixteenth Arts Theatre pantomime is
Cambridge’s #1 dame Matt Crosby as Widow Twankey. Crosby’s pantomime roles at
the Arts Theatre include Dame Trott in 2020’s Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver and
Ugly Sister opposite Wayne Sleep in 2019’s Cinderella. Recent theatre
credits include To Sir, With Love (Birmingham Rep) and Antigone
(Storyhouse).
Back for his third Christmas in Cambridge is Isaac Stanmore
as Wishy-Washy. Previous Arts Theatre credits include Buttons in 2019’s Cinderella
and Wishy-Washy in 2020’s Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver. Recent theatre
credits include The 39 Steps (New Vic) and Hetty Feather
(Nuffield Southampton/Theatre Royal Bath).
Carl Au stars in the title role of Aladdin. Best known for
his role as Barry Barry in Waterloo Road, Au’s other credits include Cilla the
Musical (UK tour) and South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Aiesha Pease stars as Spirit of the Ring. Pease’s extensive musical theatre credits include Priscilla
Queen of the Desert (UK tour); Sister Act (Leicester
Curve and international tour) and Hairspray (UK and Ireland tour).
Actor and dancer Jak Allen-Anderson stars as the Genie,
whose credits include Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre); Priscilla Queen of the
Desert (UK tour); Cats (international tour) and a dancer and can-can
soloist at Paris’ Moulin Rouge.
Completing the principal cast is Megan-Hollie Robertson as
Princess Poppy. Robertson’s theatre credits include performances in Annie
(UK tour); South Pacific (UK tour) and The Crucible (Storyhouse).
Aladdin longs for riches, good fortune and his one true love
while stuck working in Widow Twankey’s launderette. But when the dastardly
Abanazar lures him into the depths of a deep dark cave, Aladdin’s life is
turned upside down! With the Genie by his side and the magic lamp in his
pocket, Aladdin finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime. But Abanazar has
other plans… can Aladdin defeat him and win the hand of the Princess, or will
he be back in the launderette before you can say “open sesame”?
Aladdin is directed by Michael Gattrell (Dame
Trott’s Panto Palaver, Dear Zoo) and is written by Al Lockhart-Morley (Dame
Trott’s Panto Palaver, Cinderella), Cambridge Arts Theatre’s resident
pantomime writer since 2014.
In 2020, Cambridge Arts Theatre defied all odds and
celebrated sparkling success with Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver, a
socially-distanced panto adventure, welcoming thousands of Cambridgeshire
families before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure.
This year’s pantomime is back to a full-scale production,
brimming with singalong songs, sparkling costumes and side-splitting jokes, Aladdin opens
on Thursday 2 December 2021 and runs until
Sunday 9 January 2022. For more information and ticket
prices visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
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