Photos: Chris Rankin and More Star In DICK WHITTINGTON At Corn Exchange Newbury

Corn Exchange Newbury has released photos of this year’s pantomime, Dick Whittington.  Audiences will join Dick and his trusty cat on their quest to seek fame and fortune. As the  dynamic duo journeys from Newburyshire to London, it soon becomes clear that perhaps  everything is not what it seems. 

The cast features Harry Potter film star Chris Rankin, who is best known for playing Percy  Weasley in the Wizarding World franchise and will be performing as Alderman Fitzwarren.  Starring in the role of Dick Whittington will be Kai Harris (West End Does Christmas 2023) with  his trusty sidekick of a cat, Cosmo, played by Jade Johnson (The Book of Mormon, Prince of  Wales Theatre). Jade returns to the Corn Exchange for her third Christmas after playing Fairy  Common in last year’s production of Beauty and the Beast. Causing mischief and mayhem as the  evil King Rat will be Alex Crandon, who has previously performed in Plested, Brown and  Wilsher’s Cinderella at Salisbury Playhouse. Scott Riney will be playing the Dame to bring some  classic Christmas fun to the stage. 

Grace Kelly Miller will be investigating the chaos as Detective Fairy Bowbells and Shannon  Bourne, who has recently performed in Becoming Nancy and the tour of Stranger Sings!, joins as  Alice Fitzwarren. The ensemble features Jake Poolman, who has performed in Les Misérables  and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Adam Craig (The Wizard of Oz West End) and Finna  Hardy who makes her pantomime debut.  

The show has been created by Plested Brown and Wilsher, which is made up of Clare Plested,  Adam Brown (The Hobbit, Warner Brothers; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tale No Tales,  Disney), and Amanda Wilsher. Clare Plested is an acclaimed actress, writer, and comedian, and was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Awards in 2022. Newbury local Adam  Brown is best known for playing Ori in The Hobbit and recently appeared alongside Sir Ian  McKellen in Mother Goose at Theatre Royal, Brighton. Amanda Wilsher is a firm favourite for  Newbury, as she has previously directed Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022 and Beauty and the  Beast last year.  

Joining them in the creative team are Miranda Wilford as Choreographer, Ben Barrow as Musical  Director and Orchestrations, set and dame costume designs are by Mark Walters for Glitter  Pantomimes with costume designs by Carl Davies. Completing the creative team are Vicky Allen  as Lighting Designer and Nathan Smith as Sound Designer.  

Photo Credit: Richard Lak

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