Panto has the Axe Factor
Little Red Riding Hood
South Shields Customs House
Tuesday 2nd
December 2014 to Saturday
10th January 2015
This year’s Customs House panto
has the axe-factor. For the first time in the venue’s history Little Red Riding
Hood will be the festive offering. Leading the cast
through the run from December 2 to January 10 will be panto legend and the Mill
Dam venue’s Executive Director Ray Spencer as dame Granny Hood. It seems panto fans are seeing red with more
than 15,000 tickets already being snapped up.
Ray, who’s starred in pantomimes
in South Tyneside for almost 40 years, said: “Panto is in my blood
and after a year out due to a knee injury I can’t wait to get back up on our
stage and perform. It’s an exciting year – it’s the first time we
have performed Little Red Riding Hood and we have created a brilliant family
show.”
The show will mark several firsts. Ray’s daughter Natasha Haws will make her
debut in a leading pantomime role at The Customs House as Red, long-time
principal boy Steven Lee Hamilton will swap his smile for a sneer when he is
unveiled as baddie Wolfgang and three new faces will be joining The Customs
House panto family.
Ray, who also directs and
co-writes the show with Graeme Thompson, added: “I can’t wait to get started
and more importantly for the audiences to come in and see what we’ve created
for them in this year’s ‘little panto with the big heart’. This year our designers Paul Shriek and Matt
Fox have outdone themselves – the costumes are stunning and the sets are going
to be just as amazing.”
Steven, 30, from South Shields, said: “I loved playing the principal boy and now
I can’t wait to get my teeth into this new role.” Pairing up with Steven’s ‘Big Bad Wolf’ will
be Jamie Birkett as Bracken the Witch. The
West End star and I’d Do Anything finalist from Cumbria joined the cast last
year as Cinderella’s stepmother and is looking forward to getting back on The
Customs House stage. She said: “Once
you’re in the panto family it just stays with you, I’m so excited to be back!”
Craig Richardson, one of last
year’s Ugly Sisters, will play Timber and certainly has big boots to fill when
he takes on the funny role traditionally filled by Ray’s alter-ego Tommy, while
fellow ‘Ugly’ Stephen Sullivan will attempt to woo Granny Hood in his first
none-dame pantomime role, Mr Fracker.
Also back from last year’s cast is
the loveable Luke Maddison who will play one of the Three Pigs, Savaloy. His
fellow pigs will be played by panto newcomers but Customs House regulars Gareth
Hunter (Bratwurst) and Kylie Ann Ford (Chorizo). Also making his panto debut will be Jamie
Brown as Prince Chop-a-lot. Jamie impressed earlier this year in Catherine
Cookson’s Fifteen Streets, helping to land him the role.
No Customs House pantomime would
be complete without the dancing babes. South Tyneside Dance Workshop – where Natasha first debuted in
the pantomime – will once again be adding to the glitz and glamour.
Tickets:
Little Red Riding Hood, sponsored by Hays Travel,
is at The Customs House from December 2 to January 10.
Tickets, priced from £9, are available from the box
office on 0191 454 1234 or visit www.customshouse.co.uk.
Cast:
Natasha Haws: Red
Ray Spencer: Granny Hood
Steven Lee Hamilton: Wolfgang
Jamie Birkett: Bracken
Jamie Brown: Prince Chop-a-lot
Craig Richardson: Timber
Stephen Sullivan: Mr Fracker
Luke Maddison: Savaloy
Gareth Hunter: Bratwurst
Kylie Ann Ford: Chorizo
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