ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
PANTO DEBUT FOR WEST END SUPERSTAR AND SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION
CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER
THIS CHRISTMAS , ACTRESS , AUTHOR AND VLOGGER CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER WILL BE MAKING HER PANTOMIME DEBUT AS VILLAIN CARABOSSE IN SLEEPING BEAUTY AT THE MARLOWE THEATRE IN CANTERBURY . IT IS A WELCOME RETURN FOR THE STAR TO THE CITY ’ S AWARD-WINNING THEATRE WHERE SHE HAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED DURING THE TOURS OF CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG AND THE ADDAMS FAMILY .
Carrie , a three-time winner of Best Actress In A Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards for the roles of Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber ’ s Cinderella , Veronica Sawyer in Heathers and Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family , has also won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Takeover In A Role for Eponine in Les Misérables . Her stage credits also include The Caucasian Chalk Circle ( Rose Theatre )
Alongside her acting , literary and music career , Carrie is an established online presence with over 593,000 followers on Instagram and over 700,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel , with over one million views every month . She was named in the Sunday Times Influencer List as one of the top 100 influencers in the United Kingdom .
Commenting on her first panto role , here in Kent , she said : “ I ’ m so excited . I didn ’ t see a panto until I was 19 , that was my first experience of panto .
I love it so much . I love how out there they are , I love that they use songs that everyone knows , I love all of the outlandish characters and I love the audience participation .
“ The fact that I was asked to play the villain was a very , very big draw for me . Wednesday Addams was probably the closest I ever got to playing a villain and I really enjoyed playing a slightly darker character and so just playing an outright villain is going to be so much fun . I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever looked forward to being booed before !”
Sleeping Beauty follows the critical acclaim and runaway popular success of last year ’ s Marlowe Theatre pantomime Jack and The Beanstalk which won Best Pantomime at The UK Pantomime Awards 2022 , with Paul Hendy also being awarded Best Director . In the same year , The Marlowe Theatre was named Theatre of The Year at The Stage Awards .
Joining Carrie , will be actor , TV star and Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba , who will be playing Prince Orlando , Jennie Dale ( Swashbuckle - CBBC , Fitness In 5 - CBBC ) as Fairy Moonbeam , Marlowe Theatre ’ s pantomime favourite Ben Roddy , who be returning as the dame for his 13th year , comedian and ventriloquist Max Fulham ( CBBC Crackerjack , ITV ’ s Game Of Talents ) as Jangles , and Ellie Kingdon ( Grease - Dominion Theatre & UK Tour ) as Aurora .
Sleeping Beauty , which is co-produced by The Marlowe and Evolution Productions , and written and directed by Paul Hendy opened in Canterbury on Friday 25 November and will run until Sunday 8 January .
For full listings and tickets visit marlowetheatre . com .
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