ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
SLEEPING BEAUTY
AT THE MARLOWE THEATRE
THE MARLOWE THEATRE HAS ANNOUNCED CASTING FOR THIS YEAR ’ S PANTOMIME SLEEPING BEAUTY , FEATURING TV STAR AND STRICTLY COME DANCING WINNER ORE ODUBA AND WEST END SUPERSTAR CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER .
OH YES IT IS ...
The show , which is co-produced by The Marlowe and Evolution Productions , is written and directed by Paul Hendy . It will be opening in Canterbury on Friday 25 November .
Last year ’ s show won Best Pantomime at The UK Pantomime Awards 2022 , with Paul also being awarded Best Director .
Actor , TV star and Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba will be playing Prince Orlando . Ore has hosted flagship shows such as This Morning and The One Show , as well as fronting some of the biggest national events live to audiences of millions – including The Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Ariana Grande ’ s global concert One Love Manchester .
Most recently Ore played Brad Majors in the hit UK tour of Rocky Horror , during which he performed at The Marlowe .
Ore says : “ In many ways I feel like I was made for panto because I love having that rapport with the audience , I ’ m a family guy myself and I love the idea of families coming to see the show . I know that everybody loves The Marlowe panto . We ’ re going to have fun .”
Actress , author and vlogger Carrie Hope Fletcher will be making her pantomime debut as villain Carabosse . Carrie ’ s stage credits include Andrew Lloyd Webber ’ s Cinderella ( Gillian Lynne Theatre , West End ), Les Misérables : The Concert ( Gielgud
Theatre , West End ) and Heathers ( Theatre Royal Haymarket , West End ). She is a three-time winner of Best Actress in a Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards .
She has previously performed at The Marlowe during the tours of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Addams Family .
Carrie says : “ I ’ m so excited . I didn ’ t see a panto until I was 19 , which was my first experience of panto . I love it so much . The fact that I was asked to play the villain was a very , very big draw for me . I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever looked forward to being booed before !”
Jennie Dale , who is best known for playing Captain Captain in the hit CBeebies TV series Swashbuckle , will be playing Fairy Moonbeam . In the West End Jennie has been seen in Elf
( Dominion Theatre ), Sister Act ( London Palladium ), The Lord Of The Rings ( Theatre Royal Drury Lane ), Mary Poppins ( Prince Edward Theatre ), and Les Misérables ( Palace Theatre ).
Ben Roddy will be returning for his 13th pantomime at The Marlowe . Ben was awarded Dame of the Year at The Great British Pantomime Awards for his role in Peter Pan . With recent seasons at the RSC , this year Ben appeared in The Marlowe Sessions at the Malthouse , Canterbury in Tamburlaine and Doctor Faustus with Dominic West .
Sleeping Beauty will be at The Marlowe Theatre from Friday 25 November to Sunday 8 January 2023 , with various performance times . Tickets can be booked on marlowetheatre . com or via the Box Office on 01227 787787 .
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