Comedian John Bishop will no longer be performing in the capital this week due to having to take compassionate leave.
Bishop, who hails from Liverpool, was set to play the role of Vic Goose in the hit play Mother Goose in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin alongside Ian McKellan as Mother Goose.
However, the beloved comedian is now being replaced by his understudy, Gabriel Fleary so the production can still go ahead.
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A statement released by the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Monday confirmed the news that Bishop would not be appearing in the production this week.
In a statement, the theatre said: “We regret to announce that John Bishop is unable to appear in this week’s run of Mother Goose at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Mr Bishop has taken compassionate leave from the show.
"Gabriel Fleary, the Holby City and RSC actor and Mr Bishop’s standby, will play the role of Vic Goose alongside Ian McKellen as Mother Goose," it was added in the statement.
The opening show of the panto, which was written by Coronation Street’s Jonathan Harvey and directed by Cal McCrystal, is tonight and it will run up until Sunday, March 26.
The story tells the tale of Mother Goose and her husband Vic. The pair run an animal sanctuary while living inside an abandoned Debenhams department store.
However, things turn upside down when a magical goose enters their lives. Mother Goose has been described as a live entertainment spectacle that is not to be missed.
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