BRAND NEW PANTOMIME ADVENTURE PINOCCHIO OPENS TO PACKED HOUSES AT ALHAMBRA THEATRE, BRADFORD!
The Alhambra Theatre’s pantomime, PINOCCHIO, opened last Saturday to packed houses and will run for the next 5 weeks in Bradford. Panto legend, Billy Pearce, leads the star-studded line-up of the festive spectacular as Geppetto, alongside Coronation Street star Chris Gascoyne as the evil Stromboli; and Drag Superstar Courtney Act as the Blue Faerie. They are joined by panto veteran Steve Arnott (Dame Rita), Ewan Goddard (in the titular role of Pinocchio), West Yorkshire local Sarah Pearson (Phyllis The Fox), Leeds-born Monique Ashe-Palmer (Kitty The Cat), and Nicholas McLean (Jiminy Cricket).
Billy Pearce first topped the bill of the Alhambra Theatre’s annual festive production in 1993, winning acclaim from critics and audience members alike, and has since solidified his reputation as the King of Yorkshire comedy. Side-splittingly funny, Billy will bring his trademark mad-cap comedy and boundless energy to the stage and will have audiences laughing in the aisles just like he does every year.
No stranger to panto, Chris Gascoyne is an English film, theatre, and television actor famous for his role as Peter Barlow in Britain’s top soap, Coronation Street, in which he has led numerous high-profile storylines to great acclaim for 23 years. Chris also has an impressive list of stage credits, including Endgame (Home Manchester), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Birmingham Rep), Frankie and Johnny at The Clair De Lune (Bolton Octagon Theatre), The Rib Cage (Manchester Royal Exchange), Bluebird (Royal Court Theatre) and The Changing Room (Duke of York’s Royal Court Classic Season).
Best known for her top 3 spot on Season 6 of the Emmy Award-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, Courtney Act is no stranger to the stage. In 2003, Courtney made it to 13th place in the first season of Australian Idol and then signed with Sony/BMG. Courtney released her debut EP, Kaleidoscope, and toured internationally with her original show, The Girl from Oz, following her rise to fame after her appearance on Drag Race in 2014. In 2018, Courtney was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother UK, educating viewers on queer issues such as gender fluidity and sexuality.
Steve Arnott started his professional career as a voice over artist for radio and television and appeared on national television as the original Dairy Crest milkman. Since then, Steve has appeared in over 21 pantomimes, including 12 seasons at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle. When Steve is not acting, directing or touring, he is one of three Scenic Artists who restore and paint the vast stock of stage sets for Crossroads Pantomimes at their production facility in East Yorkshire.
Ewan Goddard has starred in pantomimes up and down the UK over the years, last appearing in the 2019 production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Alhambra Theatre. Ewan has appeared in the international tour of James and the Giant Peach as the titular role and has TV credits including Doctors (BBC) and Jack in Monty & Co (CBeebies).
Also returning to Bradford for another festive season, after a triumphant appearance as Cinderella last year, is West Yorkshire local Sarah Pearson. Based in Huddersfield, Sarah’s most recent appearance was in I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Wolverhampton Grand/Edinburgh Fringe Festival), following a successful tour of Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder.
Sarah is joined by Leeds-born Monique Ashe-Palmer. Monique has recently finished a run of Standing at the Sky’s Edge at The Gillian Lynne Theatre in London, having previously appeared in SIX at the Vaudeville Theatre where she was Alternate Aragon/Cleves.
West-End performer Nicholas McLean appears as Jiminy Cricket. Nicholas is no stranger to the stage, having played Boq in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Pugsley Addams in The Addams Family (The London Palladium) and The Doctor in The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre) to name but a few.
The show also features speciality act Spark Fire Dance, comprising Grace Billings and Dave Knox. Founded as a Cirque du Soliel specialist act, Spark Fire Dance is an electrifying combination of powerful fire manipulation, risqué circus stunts, and jaw dropping special effects that you will feel from your seat!
The Sunbeams return to the Alhambra Theatre’s pantomime again this year, provided by Sara Packham Theatre School in Keighley. The tradition of the Sunbeams (the children’s dance troupe) in pantomimes at the Alhambra Theatre can be traced back to the 1930s, under the leadership of Francis Laidler who built the venue in 1914 and directed many pantos there over the decades.
There is a performance for everybody this festive season at the Alhambra Theatre: with Sign Language Interpreted performances (Thursday 12 December 2pm & Sunday 12 January 5pm); two Audio Described performances (Thursday 2 January 2.30pm & 7.15pm); a Captioned performance (Sunday 5 January 5pm); and for the first time during the pantomime season, there will be two Relaxed Performances (Tuesday 7 January 1pm & 6pm). The relaxed performances will welcome everyone who would like to see the panto in a less formal atmosphere.
PINOCCHIO is produced by Crossroads Pantomimes, the world’s biggest pantomime producer and the same team behind the annual Alhambra Theatre pantomime for over 20 years. PINOCCHIO is directed by Ed Curtis, returning for his 13th Alhambra Theatre pantomime. As well as the talented cast, ground-breaking special effects once again take centre-stage, created by The Twins FX who have been delivering these visual treats to Alhambra Theatre audiences over the past 9 years.
PINOCCHIO is now open and closes on Sunday 19 January 2025 - it has all the fun, laughter, magic, and special effects that audiences have come to expect from the Alhambra Theatre pantomime each festive season. Don’t miss Bradford’s ultimate festive treat and book your tickets now!
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