Paul O'Grady looks set to bring the house down in the iconic role of Miss Hannigan when hit musical Annie arrives in Newcastle next year.
Paul. who was an iconic TV personality in the 90s as alter ego Lily Savage, is no stranger to the part of the drunken orphanage battle-axe, having played her before in the West End. His other theatre credits include playing the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and many pantomimes including Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium.
A British showbiz legend, Paul has had considerable success in more recent years as the host of his own TV chat show and Radio 2 show, a job he quit just recently. He is also a highly celebrated writer, having written both autobiographical and fictional books.
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Annie, a film that viewers of all ages have grown up with, has also been a huge hit on stage and returns to Newcastle's Theatre Royal from March 7-11 next year.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search…
With its award-winning book and score, this stunning production includes the unforgettable songs ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’, ‘Easy Street’, ‘I Don’t Need Anything But You’ and ‘Tomorrow’.
The Theatre Royal announced Paul would be playing Miss Hannigan in A Facebook post on Tuesday and the reaction was huge, with it quickly racking up hundreds of shares and thousands of comments. One fan replied: "He’s the perfect choice he’ll be amazing," with a second reacting: "I am SO GLAD we have tickets for this ! I love POG."
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