Al Murray and Clive Rowe Announced for JACK AND THE BEANSTALK at New Wimbledon theatre

FE-FI-FO-FUM, PANTOMIME CASTING
ANNOUNCED FOR WIMBLEDON!
New Wimbledon Theatre has announced that the countries' most outspoken publican Al Murray and West End, television and Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe will lead the cast of this year's GIANT pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk from Saturday 9 December 2017.

Best known as "The Pub Landlord", Al Murray has been a mainstay of British television, radio, theatre and the stand-up circuit since he made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 1994. Since then he propelled himself to stardom from his humble publican beginnings with the outspoken raconteur winning the coveted Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival, an Olivier Award nomination for his theatre show My Gaff, My Rules and won a British Comedy Award for his chat show Al Murray's Happy Hour.
A regular across the touring circuit, Al has played venues across the country with his tours, including A Glass of White Wine for the Lady (one of his numerous catchphrases), Giving It Both Barrels and Time Gentlemen Please. On television he has hosted Fact Hunt, appeared on Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, hosted his own sketch show Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder and presented the travel documentary Al Murray's German Adventure for the BBC.

On radio Al has often hosted shows on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live and has guest edited The Today Show for BBC Radio 4. Last year Al starred in the live, televised celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare playing Bottom opposite Dame Judi Dench as Titania in an excerpt from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Al has also released eight live DVDs and five novels under his Pub Landlord guise. Al will play the brother of Jack Trot, Idle Al, who will ably assist his brother in climbing the beanstalk, outwit the evil Giant Blunderbore and win the hand of the beautiful Princess.

Starring alongside Al Murray as Idle Al, Jack's mother will be played by the Olivier Award winning actor Clive Rowe MBE. Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Clive solidified his reputation as one of the UK's most talented actors and vocalists with lead roles in Carousel at the National Theatre, a role that saw him nominated for an Olivier Award, and Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, for which he won. Other stage work includes Once On This Island, the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, the Jester in Twelfth Night at the Open Air Theatre, One-Round in The Ladykillers, King Darius in The Light Princess at the National and Kiss Me, Kate at the Old Vic. Clive was last heard (and briefly seen) at New Wimbledon Theatre when he voiced Audrey II, the infamous man-eating plant in the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

In addition to his television work, where he is perhaps best known to legions of younger viewers as Mo in The Story of Tracy Beaker, Clive has appeared in Doctor Who, All The Small Things and So Awkward for CBBC. Clive is also famously known as one of the UK's best-loved pantomime dames having donned a frock at the Hackney Empire for a number of years. In 2009 Clive was nominated for the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for his role as Mother Goose.

This festive season the SW19 landscape will feature a gigantic beanstalk as Jack and the Beanstalk comes to New Wimbledon Theatre for the first time in over 15 years. Produced by Qdos Entertainment, the world's biggest pantomime producer, in a brand-new partnership with New Wimbledon Theatre operators ATG, this year's production will feature all of the ingredients of a perfect panto; a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh-out-loud comedy, magic beans, bundles of audience participation, stunning scenery and never-before-seen special effects for all the family to enjoy.

Michael Harrison, managing director of Qdos Entertainment's pantomime division said: "We are absolutely delighted to begin an all-new working relationship with New Wimbledon Theatre and to bring the magic of our pantomimes to Merton this year. We are thrilled Al Murray will make what promises to be an unmissable and hilarious pantomime debut as Idle Al, and with the wonderfully talented Clive Rowe as our Dame New Wimbledon Theatre audiences are in for a real treat this year."

"Since we opened this theatre on Boxing Day 1910 we have built a reputation of providing the best family pantomime in South West London. I am thrilled that QDOS are returning to the venue to continue this tradition" Neil Chandler, General Manager
This year's New Wimbledon Theatre pantomime is the production audiences have bean waiting for and should book their tickets today. Jack and the Beanstalk runs from Saturday 9 December 2017 to Sunday 14 January 2018.

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