Yvonne Arnaud Panto Cast – All Dressed Up With Three Months To Go

Published on: 22 Sep, 2012
Updated on: 22 Sep, 2012

The cast of the Yvonne Arnaud’s 2012 pantomime, ‘Aladdin’

Report by Flora Windebank – Photos by John Schluter

Dressed up as fairy princesses, magical genies and sinister baddies, the cast of the Yvonne Arnaud’s 2012 pantomime Aladdin looked ready to hit the stage in September as they posed for photos at the launch of the Christmas pantomime this week.

Susie Blake as the Genie and Emma Thornett as Aladdin

The star cast this year will be led by stellar actress Susie Blake, playing the genie, best known for her roles in the smash hit musical Wicked, as Beverley Unwin in Coronation Street and the BAFTA Award-winning British comedy sketch series Victoria Wood as seen on TV.

‘The Emperor’ Peter Gordon

Familiar faces will also be rejoining the cast this year, Eagle Radio breakfast show host Peter Gordon returns for his 6th pantomime as the Emperor of China and Emma Thornett, who many people will remember as last years ‘Jack’ from Jack and the Beanstalk will return as ‘Aladdin.’ Kit Hesketh-Harvey will return to terrorize children as ‘baddie’ Abanazar, and Royce Mills will be embarking on his tenth Yvonne Arnaud pantomime as ‘Widow Twankey’.

The cast definitely couldn’t wait to get going, and Peter Gordon enthusiastically said: “Pantomime season is as good as it gets really. I do my breakfast show in the morning, then come down the hill to practice a fantastic pantomime. It doesn’t get much better and I love every second.”

Kit Hesketh-Harvey as Abanazar looking forward to making the children cry

Despite a quite intensive performance run of two or sometimes three shows a day Emma Thornett enthused: “Even though we will have done it so many times, for the audience each performance is new and magical and that enthusiasm cheers you on and makes you want to do your best for them.”

Kit Hesketh-Harvey said with a devilish wink: “There’s nothing as fun as making children cry. My record is six children carried out in the first 60 seconds. I’m rather proud of that. It’s so exciting for them as it’s their first ‘real’ baddie, who interacts with them and is really there, unlike on television. It’s an incredible feeling as an actor to get such a genuine reaction.”

The show will open at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre from Friday, December 7 and runs until Sunday, January 13.