PANTOSEASON
KEVIN CLIFTON MAKES HIS PANTOMIME DEBUT IN THE MARLOWE THEATRE ’ S
ALADDIN !
Aladdin at The Marlowe Theatre .
Photo by David Oxberry
The Marlowe Theatre is welcoming Strictly Come Dancing champion and West End star Kevin Clifton as he makes his pantomime debut playing the wicked villain in this year ’ s production of Aladdin .
The magical pantomime also sees the return of CBeebies ’ Mister Maker , Phil Gallagher , to the Canterbury stage , with Marlowe Legend Ben Roddy returning for his 14th run as the pantomime dame . The Marlowe ’ s signature high-quality production welcomes West End stars Alistair So ( Matilda , The King & I ) and Lauren Chia ( Disney ’ s Aladdin , The Sound of Music ) for the first time .
The show will be written and directed by Paul Hendy and produced by Evolution Productions and The Marlowe Theatre , the same team behind the five-star Box Office smash-hits , Sleeping Beauty and Jack And The Beanstalk ( which won ‘ Best Pantomime ’ at the UK Pantomime Awards 2021 / 22 ). It will be opening in Canterbury on Friday 24 November and will run until Sunday 7 January 2024 .
Professional dancer Kevin Clifton is best known for competing in seven series and five finals in BBC One ’ s Strictly Come Dancing , before he was deservedly crowned champion alongside partner Stacey Dooley in 2018 .
Alongside his hugely successful competitive dancing career , Kevin has become a celebrated West End performer . In 2021 , he joined stage legend Adam Cooper in Jonathan Church ’ s critically acclaimed production Singin ’ In The Rain at Sadler ’ s Wells , and earlier this year , Kevin played Scott Hastings in Strictly Ballroom : The Musical , where he visited The Marlowe during the UK Tour .
Kevin said : “ I ’ m absolutely over the moon to be returning to The Marlowe for Aladdin ! This will be my first ever pantomime , and I ’ m so excited that I get to play the baddie ! It ’ ll be totally different from anything I ’ ve done before , and I can ’ t wait to revel in all the boos and hisses .
“ After performing in Canterbury with Strictly Ballroom and Rock of Ages , I knew I had to come back . Canterbury is going to be the perfect place to soak up the festive cheer ! Get ready for some villainous dance moves and a whole lot of fun . Can ’ t wait to see you there , Canterbury !”
The Marlowe Theatre ’ s chief executive , Deborah Shaw , commented : “ The scale and quality of The Marlowe ’ s pantomime continues to grow year on year and cement The Marlowe ’ s reputation as having one of the UK ’ s most impressive pantomimes . This year ’ s cast is full of West End performers and Marlowe legends that bring a wealth of talent and stellar credentials to the stage .”
Writer and director , Paul Hendy of Evolution Pantomimes , added : “ We ’ re incredibly proud of Evolution and The Marlowe ’ s reputation for producing some of the biggest and best pantomimes in the country . We can ’ t wait to see Ben , Phil and Kevin return to the stage , and welcome Alistair , Lauren and many more for the first time !”
Aladdin will be at The Marlowe Theatre from Friday 24 November and will run until Sunday 7 January , with various performance times . Tickets can be booked at marlowetheatre . com or via the Box Office on 01227 787787 .
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