Casting Announced For Theatre Royal Stratford East's SLEEPING BEAUTY

Theatre Royal Stratford East is delighted to announce the full cast for this year's panto, Sleeping Beauty. The cast includes Krystal Dockery as Fairy Stardust, Joshua Elliott as King Percy, Alice Frankham as Crow/Fairy Borealis/Mirror Antoinette, Josephine Melville as Mauditious Le Vicious, Ericka Posadas as Scarlett, Shaun Prendergast as Queen Pearl and Anthony Rickman as Forrest/Fairy Nightfall.

Sleeping Beauty has been in a deep sleep for a hundred years... but wakes to find herself in a new city with a cruel fairy hot on her heels...

Expect our much-loved mix of original songs, cracking jokes and a (huge) sprinkling of magic in London's must-see pantomime.

Nadia Fall, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East said:

'Panto is such a huge part of Theatre Royal Stratford East's history and each year we provide something unique for our loyal audiences. I'm thrilled about this team coming together to continue the much-loved tradition of delivering a panto that speaks to today's world - something that's entertaining and fun, but that's also current and relevant. It's great to have Matthew back with us to direct a panto for the first time as well as Robert who's celebrating 20 years of panto at Stratford. We are also thrilled to welcome Sarah A Nixon and Mark Chatterton to the team, who have had such wonderful successes with their work in Liverpool.'

Matthew Xia, Director of Sleeping Beauty said:

'I'm thrilled to be returning to Theatre Royal Stratford East to create Sleeping Beauty this Christmas. I grew up in Newham and had my first ever theatrical experience at the Theatre Royal Stratford East watching the pantos - which are some of the very best in London. I look forward to working with the exceptional cast and creative team, and flipping this story on its head - creating a rip-roaring adventure through time and space as our characters race into the future to save the past!'

Krystal Dockery plays Fairy Stardust. Her theatre credits include Mogadittion, Aladdin, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith); The Internet Was Made For Adults (Vault Festival - Hitting the Wall Productions); An Ancien Regime (Hoxton Hall); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Shared

Experience) and Peter Pan: A New Adventure (The Greenwich Theatre). Her television credits include Serious Ocean.

Joshua Elliott plays King Percy. His theatre credits include Mr Foote's Other Leg (Hampstead Theatre/Theatre Royal Haymarket); King Lear (ATG National tour) and whilst training The Man of Mode, Sweeney Todd, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is a founding member of Top of the Hill Productions.

Alice Frankham plays Crow/Fairy/Borealis/Mirror Antoinette. Her theatre credits include Jesus Hopped The A Train (HOME, Manchester); Mariage Blanc (Asylum Chapel, London); Robin Hood (Little Wolf Entertainment); Days Of Wine And Roses (Theatre 53Two, Manchester); Musical Men Who March Away (Dramatico Entertainment); Strindberg's Women (Jermyn Street Theatre); Wuthering Heights The Musical (Iris theatre); Jurassic Lark - The Musical (Leicester Square Theatre); The Pint (Waterloo East Theatre); Jack And The Beanstalk (Buxton Opera House); Once Again to Zelda, Saint (Old Red Lion); Fred and Georgie (Greenwich Theatre); NewsRevue (Canal Café Theatre); The Rivals (Panache Theatre); Vanessa and Virginia (Riverside Studios) and Pretty Ugly (The Rose Theatre, Kingston). Her Television and film credits include Socialite in Genius, Picasso, The Royals, Quran, Cassie, Borderline, Love Me Do and Adot.

Josephine Melville plays Mauditious Le Vicious. Her theatre credits include Moon Over A Rainbow Shawl, Party Girls, Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, Blaggers, The BiBi Crew (Theatre Royal Stratford East); Dick Whittington (Greenwich Theatre); Fruit Salad (Greenwich Theatre/Hackney Empire); Hair (Theatre Clywd); O Babylon and Unfinished Business (Talawa Theatre Company); Meetings (The Black Theatre Co-Op); Godspell (Oldham, Manchester); Meetings (Nitro, formerly The Black Theatre Co- Op); Unfinished Business (Oval for Talawa Theatre Company); Forty (Hackney Empire); Funny Black Women on the Edge (Theatre Royal Stratford East/The Broadway Theatre Catford), Aladdin (Hackney Empire); Macbeth (US Tour - Committed Artists of Great Britain) and The Coup (The National Theatre). She is co-founder of Aarawak Moon and has co-written Shoot 2 Win, which premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East and toured nationally. Her Television credits include L8R Youngers, Casualty, Rapping at the Royal, Prime Suspects 2, The Bill, Downtown Lagos and EastEnders.

Ericka Posadas plays Scarlett. She graduated from the Musical Theatre Academy in 2018. Her theatre credits include Seussical (The Pleasance Theatre); Something Old Something New (Bernie Grants Arts Centre); Dangerous Daughters (The Bridewell Theatre) and EP Danny Hero (Perfect Pitch). Her dance credits include In Motion Dance Festival (The Bunker Theatre). Her film credits include Shift.

Shaun Prendergast plays Queen Pearl. His theatre credits include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (The Park Theatre); Cinderella (Theatre Royal Windsor); Geordie the Musical (Customs House); Oh What a Lovely War (Theatre Royal Stratford East); As You Like It, Hamlet, A Going Concern (Hampstead Theatre) and Macbeth (Battersea Arts Centre). His Television and film credits include Dark Angel, EastEnders and Much Ado About Nothing.

Anthony Rickman plays Forrest/Fairy Nightfall. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2018. His theatre credits include Wonderland: A New Musical (Edinburgh Fringe Festival).

Sarah A Nixon and Mark Chatterton are the writing team behind the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatre's perennial hit The Rock 'n' Roll Panto. Titles include Mother Goose, Rock Around The Cluck, Cinderella, She Loves Shoe Yeah Yeah Yeah, Rapunzel and Hairway To Heaven. This year's Snow Queen, Chillin' Me Softly, will be their 18 production for the theatres. They have also written various shows for theatres including, Oldham Coliseum, Derby Playhouse, New Victoria Newcastle,

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Bolton Octagon and the Wakefield Theatre Royal. They have written a short award-winning Health and Safety film and numerous final showcases at the Central School of Speech and Drama. They are currently working on their version of The Three Musketeers, All for One and Three for Two!

Robert Hyman has worked extensively at Theatre Royal Stratford East for the last 20 years both as a Composer and Musical Director. That body of work includes music and lyrics for Rapunzel (2018 Winner Great British Pantomime Awards for Musical Supervision), Cinderella (Olivier Award nominated), Pinocchio, Aladdin, Red Riding Hood and Dick Whittington (with Trish Cooke), as well as songs for The Snow Queen and Hansel and Gretel, and scores for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Make Some Noise. He was also Musical Director for the hit musicals Tommy (Ramps on the Moon); The Big Life (Including West End); Come Dancing and Takeaway (Theatre Royal Stratford East) as well as most Theatre Royal Stratford East pantomimes since 1998. Other projects include conducting a choir of 5000 at the O2; Musical Director for World Children's Ensemble (Royal Albert Hall) and Reasons to be Cheerful (UK tour).

Matthew Xia directs. Xia will return to Theatre Royal Stratford East, where he was a former Associate Director, and most recently directed Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Royal Stratford East). He was Associate Artistic Director at Manchester's Royal Exchange where he directed Brink, Into The Woods and The Bruntwood Award Winning Wish List (Royal Court Co- Production). Other credits include Blue/Orange, The Sound of Yellow, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead (Young Vic), I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the Sky, Aladdin, The Blacks (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Dublin Carol (The Sherman Theatre) and Frankenstein (Royal Exchange).

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