Damian Williams and More Star in Sheffield's JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Beg. Tonight

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes' have announced the cast of this year's spectacular family pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, alongside the news that Sheffield's Our Cow Molly dairy farm will sponsor the production.

Sheffield panto favourite DamIan Williams returns to play Dame in the enchanting fairytale, which takes to the Lyceum Theatre stage from today 6 December 2013 - Sunday 5 January 2014, alongside Ian 'H' Watkins (Steps) as Jack, Pete Dunwell as King, Sarah Earnshaw as Fairy Sugarsnap, Andrew Fettes as Fleshcreep andMadeleine Leslay will play Princess Tamara.

Producer and Director Paul Hendy will once again write and direct the show, which combines the enchanting story of Jack, his cow and a terrifying GIANT, with brilliant singing and dancing, side-splitting comedy, amazing illusions and lots of audience participation, in a fun-filled GIANT extravaganza guaranteed to entertain the whole family.

Sheffield's favourite dame DamIan Williams makes a welcome return as Dame. Damian has brought the house down for the past few years with his riotous turns as the dame in Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty, and last year as Buttons in Cinderella. Williams has toured in numerous productions across the country and became a well known television face, presenting Sky1's Are You Smarter Than a Ten Year Old. He has also portrayed various comedy roles from Luther Billis in South Pacific to Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and most recently played Tommy Cooper in the new play Being Tommy Cooper.

Jack Trott is played by Ian 'H' Watkins. Ian shot to fame in STEPS, who went on to become one of the biggest selling acts of the 1990s. Ian has released eight albums and 22 singles (the only British band to have had more top ten hits is the Beatles), sold 20 million records worldwide, embarked on the largest arena tour in British history and won numerous awards including a BRIT Award. After STEPS, Ian joined forces with fellow band mate Claire to release three top ten singles and an album and has since gone on to present and star in programmes such as Skins and Celebrity Big Brother, as well as numerous musicals. 2013 sees Ian return to the role of Joseph in the National Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, for which he won a 'Theatregoers Choice Award' nomination for at the New London Theatre.

Pete Dunwell's theatre credits include Bromley in Doctor In The House (No.1 Tour for Jamie Wilson Productions), Germio in The Taming Of The Shrew (Derby Theatre), Bottom in A Midummer Night's Dream (Alhambra Theatre, Bradford) and Buttons in Cinderella at Derby Playhouse. Television credits include All at Sea (CBBC),Heartbeat, Coronation Street, Holby City, Doctors and Eastenders.

Sarah Earnshaw will play Fairy Sugarsnap. Sarah trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has appeared in numerous theatre productions, including Alice in Wonderland at West Yorkshire Playhouse. Sarah has also appeared in concerts such as 80th Birthday Gala (Apollo Victoria) and West End Stars in Concert (Ireland) and has also featured on three musical theatre albums; Unwritten Songs (Spekulation Entertainment), Acoustic Overtures (Sim G Records) and The Music Box (Escape Records).

Andrew Fettes trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and has played in repertory in theatres across the country, including The Manor Pavilion Sidmouth, Southwold Theatre, Grand Theatre Swansea, Library Theatre Manchester and Nottingham, most recently appearing in the West End production of Steptoe and Son - Murder at Oil Drum Lane, as Burt in the national tour of Doctor in the House and in the UK and Ireland tour of The Ted and Co. Show, inspired by the TV series Father Ted. As one of the founding members of the Ha Ha Boys, Andrew has appeared around the country in their series of the shows.

Madeleine Leslay trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her recent credits include Sophia Western in Tom Jones, Louisa Gradgrind in a musical version ofHard Times, Hazel Conway in Time & the Conways, the title role of Aladdin at the Roses, Tewkesbury and is currently playing Pamina in The Night Queen at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. Her film credits include Don't Look Up! (short), Bo-Peep in Scrambled (short), Janet in Revelations (short) and BBC TV's Production ofThe Best of Men.

Paul Hendy, writer and director of Jack and the Beanstalk, is probably best known as a TV presenter, hosting shows such as ITV's Wheel of Fortune and Don't Try this at Home. Paul is a great lover of panto, having performed in them for the last twenty years and has been writing and directing them for the last nine.

The production team includes Set & Costume Designer Helga Wood, Lighting Designer Gary Longfield and Sound Designer Nick Greenhill.

Jack and the Beanstalk is sponsored by Our Cow Molly, a dairy farm based in Dungworth, on top of one of the seven hills of Sheffield. It was established by Hector Andrew in 1947 and has grown as a family business over the years to include a cafe and ice cream parlour, selling The Farm's produce and extensive range of delicious homemade ice cream since 2007, and retailing through Sheffield Theatres since 2008. All ice cream is produced using fresh farm milk and cream from the 80 cows now living on The Farm, to which they add only the best quality ingredients. As part of the sponsorship the pantomime will feature a special Our Cow Molly scene and a unique line of ice cream inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk will be sold at the theatre.

Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield from Friday 6 December 2013 - Sunday 5 January 2014. Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres' Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £10.00 - £23.00*.

Jack and the Beanstalk will be the seventh production in Sheffield Theatres' panto partnership with Evolution Pantomimes, after the phenomenal success of last year's Cinderella starring Jonathan Ansell (G4) and Sue Devaney (Dinnerladies).

As well as The Farm shop and ice cream parlour, Our Cow Molly also have farm animals to come and see. Molly and her friends will be about too when they come in for milking, usually around 4.00pm. Our Cow Molly is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11.00am - 6.00pm all year and every day during the school holidays. Our Cow Molly is located on Cliffe House Farm, Dungworth Sheffield, South Yorkshire S6 6GW. For more information call 0114 233 2683 or visit www.ourcowmolly.co.uk.

Sheffield Theatres is supporting My Theatre Matters!, a major national campaign that invites people to shout about how important their local theatre is to them. Find out more information, and sign up to the campaign, at www.mytheatrematters.com.

Performances play the Crucible Lyceum Studio, 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA. Box Office 0114 249 6000. *All bookings made at the Box Office (excluding cash) are subject to a £1.50 transaction fee. Bookings made online are subject to a £1.00 fee. Hours: Mon - Sat 10.00am to 8.00pm. On non-performance days the Box Office closes at 6.00pm. For more information, visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and follow the theatre on Twitter: @crucibletheatre @SheffieldLyceum.

Jack and the Beanstalk
Fri 6 Dec 2013 - Sun 5 Jan 2014
Press Night Tue 10 Dec 2013 7.00pm
Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
Tickets £10.00-£23.00*
Performance times vary. A full performance schedule is available at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Box Office 0114 249 6000

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