Rob Madge Joins the Pantomime Awards 2024; Anita Harris Withdraws Due to Injury

The UK Pantomime Association has announced that Anita Harris, who is celebrating 65 years in entertainment, can no longer perform at The Pantomime Awards 2024 in association with Stagecoach tonight, 18 June, due to an accident at the weekend in which she fractured her pelvis. Anita is bitterly disappointed not to be performing at the Awards and to be celebrating pantomime, an art form she truly loves and in which she has performed for so many decades. Stepping in as a special guest performer, Rob Madge will now perform a number from their Olivier Award nominated show My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?), as well as presenting the coveted Best Pantomime Awards as planned.

Stars of stage and screen, Angellica Bell, Myra Dubois and Ore Oduba, will present the Awards tonight from 7.00pm-9.30pm at G Live in Guildford (tickets: https://trafalgartickets.com/g-live-guildford/).

As previously announced, there will also be special guest performances, including panto Dame Matthew Siviter who is sure to cause a buzz with his special rendition of a Beatles classic, entertainment from one of the industry’s top clowns Tweedy and a high-energy routine from Stagecoach Performing Arts students.

The UK Pantomime Association announced the shortlist of nominees recently with many familiar faces including acclaimed actor David Suchet who is up against Strictly star and musical performer Kevin Clifton within the Best Newcomer to Pantomime category and much-loved CBeebies actresses Jennie Dale and Katy Ashworth in the Carmen Silvera Award for Best Magical Being category. The Special Awards, which celebrate productions representing the values that the Association seeks to promote, as well as an award for Outstanding Achievement, are also to be announced at the ceremony. For more details of nominees, visit: https://pantomimeassociation.co.uk.

In honour of the UK Pantomime Association’s President, 2024 will see the inaugural Christopher Biggins Award for Best Dame, with Elaine C Smith (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, King's Theatre, Glasgow, Crossroads Pantomimes),  Ben Roddy (Aladdin, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, Evolution Productions), Ray Spencer (Aladdin, The Customs House, South Shields), Johnny McKnight (Aladdin, Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling) and Phylip Harries (Sleeping Beauty, Theatr Clwyd Big Top, Mold) all in the running for top Dame.

Simon Sladen, Chair of the UK Pantomime Association, said: “We're looking forward to welcoming the whole of Pantoland to The Pantomime Awards 2024 this evening. With great performances, a fantastic line up of presenters and a whole host of the industry's finest in attendance, it's going to be an amazing celebration of pantomime excellence!”

Andy Knights, CEO and Lisa Stead, COO of Stagecoach Performing Arts, said: “We are very excited to be the headline sponsor at this year’s Pantomime Awards. At Stagecoach Performing Arts, we take pride in seeing the positive impact that the arts can have on the lives of children and young people. For many, pantos are the first introduction they will have to theatre, and this can spark a lifetime love of, and engagement with, the arts. We know many of our students, and many of the adults that are a part of the Stagecoach community, will have been in the audiences of the nominees and we are looking forward to celebrating all the winners at the ceremony!”

Founded in 2021, the UK Pantomime Association (UKPA) is a charity that explores, shares and celebrates pantomime by investigating the genre’s rich past, engaging with contemporary practice and inspiring the future. During the 2023-24 pantomime season, the third year in which the Awards have taken place, UKPA’s 70 judges had their biggest year ever, collectively visiting 259 venues to see over 728 performances, far and wide across the United Kingdom. 

To join the nominees at The Pantomime Awards 2024 in association with Stagecoach, book tickets through G Live: https://trafalgartickets.com/g-live-guildford/.