It's only 15 weeks until Christmas which means it's time to start thinking about Bristol's magical Christmas pantomimes. This year, the Bristol Hippodrome will be hosting Cinderella throughout December.
Star of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, Craig Revel Horwood, was revealed at the pantomime dame earlier in the year and will lead the cast as the Wicked Stepmother, a fitting role for his tough-love judge persona on the dancing show. He has been a judge on all 19 series of the popular BBC1 programme since 2004.
The 57-year-old is no stranger to theatre, having appeared in many hit West End musicals such as Crazy For You and Miss Saigon, later starring as Miss Hannigan in Annie which toured the UK twice. He's no stranger to panto season, having appeared in shows up and down the country over the years.
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He is joined by Bristol's favourite panto comic Andy Ford as Buttons and musical theatre and cabaret star Alison Jiear as the Fairy Godmother. Daniel Norford will play Dandini and Lauren Hampton is the titular role - both newcomers who have already had roles in some of the West End's leading shows.
Ben Phillips, Theatre Director at the Bristol Hippodrome, said: “Despite the pandemic, last year’s pantomime was very well received, and we are now looking forward to opening our doors to an even wider and more diverse audience. This year’s production of Cinderella which is being produced by Crossroads Pantomimes, the leader in innovating the pantomime genre, will encompass everything you would expect from a family show - magic, comedy, and entertainment and we look forward to delighting thousands of families again this Christmas.”
This year’s pantomime Cinderella, which opens at the historic theatre on December 2, is expected to welcome more than 80,000 people through its doors during the show’s four-week run. It will chart the rags to riches fairytale story we all know and love, with laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of opportunities for audience participation.
Ticket prices vary, depending on where you choose to sit in the auditorium, but are available from £13 with an additional £3.80 booking fee with evening and matinee performances available throughout December. The theatre has warned that the show will feature strobes, flashing lights, smoke and haze effects along with pyrotechnics - here are the dates of the access performances for this production:
- Captioned - Wednesday, December 7. 7pm
- Relaxed Performance - Friday, December 16. 2pm
Touch tour - Thursday, December 29. 5.30pm
- Audio Description - Thursday, December 29. 7pm
- Sign language interpreted - Thursday, December 29. 7pm
Cinderella comes to Bristol Hippodrome sponsored by Hits Radio from December 2-31, 2022. Tickets available here
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