This year’s Gaiety Theatre Christmas pantomime will take the shape of an Isle of Man-inspired Dick Whittington.
The show, which will take place from Friday December 20 to Tuesday December 31, is being put together by Stage-Ed productions, who also provided last year’s hugely successful panto ‘Aladdin’.
The show will see the hero Dick Whittington and his miraculous Manx Cat Tommy making their way on an unforgettable trip to Laxey, where legend has it, the streets are paved with gold.
The traditional family pantomime will take Gaiety audiences on a journey from the Isle of Man to the High Seas, as well as the mysterious Sultan’s Palace.
A spokesperson from the Villa Gaiety said: ‘Will Dick fulfil his destiny and become Lord Mayor of Laxey? Will his faithful feline Tommy help rid the island of the evil Long-Tail King? Will Sarah The Cook ever sort out her soggy bottoms?
‘A show full of toe-tapping tunes, spectacular dance routines, colourful costumes, side splitting jokes and of course, plenty of audience participation - this firm festive favourite is guaranteed to entertain all ages, so come and join us for an unmissable family adventure this Christmas.’
A total of 21 performances are set to take place across 10 days, with the only day without a performance being Christmas Day.
The principle cast will remain the same across the run, while the juvenile ensemble cast has been split in two so they can alternate from show to show.
Talking about why Stage-Ed decided to take on Dick Whittington, director and co-founder Steve Palfreman said: ‘It still remains one of the most loved pantos across pantoland.
‘Everyone knows the story of Dick, who is down on his luck and wants to find his success in London where he has heard the pavements are made of gold.
‘Our version of this adventure is set completely in the Isle of Man, and so not to be missed.’
Auditions for the show took place in both the island and London, with the cast members now being confirmed.
This includes Millie Christian as Dick Whittington, Jolyon Dixon as Sarah The Cook, Alexandra Slater as Fairy Bridge and Stephen Donald as King R.A.T.
Steve added: ‘The audition process is always fun for pantos. It’s not too serious and it’s a chance to meet some fantastic talent and piece together the best cast possible. We auditioned around 90 people across our principal, ensemble and junior ensemble roles.
‘Alex Christian, our professional choreographer, and Kayleigh Parkinson, our assistant choreographer, have already started putting our ensemble dancers and junior ensemble through their paces in preparation for our intensive rehearsal period, which starts on December 1.
‘Each show offers its own set of challenges, but I think it’s a hugely underrated genre. For many families, it is their introduction to theatre and often their only visit to the theatre that year - what a joy!
‘The joy for us at Stage-ed is always trying to push the boundaries and making the next show better than the last.’
For more information on next month’s show, you can visit https://www.villagaiety.com/dickwhittington