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We are sorry to announce that following the recent Government announcement that Cambridgeshire is to move into Tier 4, we are unable to complete our run of Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver. Performances from Saturday 26 December have been cancelled. All affected bookers have been contacted to arrange a full refund or credit note.
Please follow this link to read the full statement from our Chief Executive Dave Murphy: https://bit.ly/3aDT0ov
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STARRING
MATT CROSBY
STEPHEN BECKETT
LUCY MAY BARKER
ISAAC STANMORE
CHLOÉ TAYLOR
Cambridge Arts Theatre is proud to present our brand-new, feel-good, warm-hearted panto themed adventure like nothing you've ever seen before!
Count Covidula, the stupidest, baddest baddie that you’ve never heard of, is sick of the good guys winning and wants to ruin pantomime for everyone. He’s got his hands on this year’s master scripts and is rewriting the stories with unexpected and hilarious results!
Will Dame Trott and her beloved Daisy the Cow escape from the mean Giant Trumplebore? Does Dick Whittington become Mayor of London or will he be defeated in a rigged election? And will Cinderella ever marry her charming Prince, or will the Stoneybroke Lockdown have her home by 10pm? One thing’s for sure: panto will never be the same again.
Join a madcap cast of panto favourites in a Christmas show like no other, featuring the Arts Theatre’s trademark silly blend of songs and magic, joy and laughter!
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE: We are delighted to be recognised as one of the official SEE IT SAFELY venues, accredited by the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre. The logo certifies that theatres are complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of both staff and audiences. We will be ensuring that you have maximum flexibility in exchanging or refunding tickets, in the event of a COVID-related cancellation. To find out how we are making your visit to the Theatre as safe as possible please visit our COVID Guide page here. #BackOnStage 
Running Time
Approx 75 minutes (no interval)
General Guidance
Performance contains haze, pyrotechnics, loud sound effects and flashing lights.
Age Guidance
Suitable for 3+
Tickets
Performances from Fri 11 December - Friday 18 December 2020:
Adults £25* / Children £15*
Performances from Saturday 19 December - Thursday 24 December 2020
Adults £30* / Children £20*
*All tickets include a £3 per ticket booking fee
Matt Crosby (Dame Trott)
Matt is back for his 15th year on stage and is thrilled to be spending his Christmas in Cambridge. Most recent theatre credits include The Importance of Being Earnest and To Sir with Love. As for TV and film, Peaky Blinders, The Madalorian, The Queen’s Gambit, Joker and Jo Jo Rabbit are just a few things that Matt has watched over lockdown. He lives in New Brighton with Jo, Clara, Beatrice and Peanut.
Stephen Beckett (Count Covidula)
Stephen’s TV credits include Harlots; Coronation Street; The Bill; Robin Hood; Holby City; Casualty; Doctors; Heartbeat and House of Anubis.
Theatre credits include MAMMA MIA! (West End & UK and International tours); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (West End); Small Family Business and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre) and The Railway Children (West End).
Lucy May Barker (Dick Whittington)
Lucy’s recent credits include Sophie in MAMMA MIA! (West End & UK and International tours); Spring Awakening (West End); Earthquakes in London and Really Old, Like Forty Five (National Theatre); The Crucible (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); The Reluctant Debutante and Oklahoma! (UK tours) and Sweeney Todd (Chichester Festival Theatre & West End).
Isaac Stanmore (Wishee-Washee)
Isaac is delighted to be back after starring as Buttons in Cambridge Arts Theatre’s 2019 pantomime Cinderella. Quite frankly, he’s delighted to be anywhere. He spent 2020
perfecting his sourdough, googling the word ‘furlough’, and learning to speak in the third person.
Chloé Taylor (Fairy Godmother)
Training: Arts Educational School London
Chloé’s recent credits include Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers (West End & UK tour); Donna in MAMMA MIA! (RCL), Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park) and Alternate Glinda in Wicked (West End).
Tamsin January (Cinderella/Dance Captain/Ensemble)
Tamsin’s recent credits include Associate Choreographer in All or Nothing (West End) and Disney’s Mulan (European premiere), and Assistant Choreographer to Kevan Allen in Goldwell. TV credits include Alison in Call the Midwife. Tamsin is thrilled to be able to spread the joy of Theatre to everyone this year!
Hettie Pearson (Alice Fitzwarren/Ensemble)
Training: Italia Conti. Hettie’s recent credits include Grease the Musical (Arena tour); Best of Rock Musicals (Eventim Apollo); Heart of Hollywood (The 02) and Rock Around the Clock (International tour). TV credits include Sanditon (ITV); Pennyworth (Warner Brothers) and It’s a Sin (Channel 4). Hettie is thrilled to be back at Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Danny Fogarty (Daisy the Cow/Ensemble)
Danny’s recent credits include Cats (Royal Caribbean Cruises); The Best of Rock Musicals (Hammersmith Apollo Eventim); Coppelia (KVN Dance Company). Pantomime credits include Cinderella (Cambridge Arts Theatre); Beauty and the Beast (New Theatre Cardiff) and Jack and the Beanstalk (Wolverhampton Grand Theatre). TV credits include Random Acts (Channel 4) and Bridgerton (Netflix).
Justin-Lee Jones (Tommy the Cat/Baron Hardup/Ensemble)
Training: Bird College. Justin-Lee’s credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (UK tour); An American in Paris; Chicago (UK tour); Disney’s Tarzan the Musical (Hamburg & Stuttgart) and Beauty & the Beast (Kuala Lumpur). He has also been a dancer for Take That and An American in Paris (Royal Variety Performance).
Michael Gattrell (Director)
This will be Michael’s 30th consecutive year involved in panto, having produced, written and directed many in Horsham, and for the last five years at Theatre Royal Bath. One of his passions in life, he hopes to bring his knowledge and panto ‘eye’ to Cambridge for all to enjoy!
Al Lockhart-Morley (Writer)
Al has been the resident panto writer at Cambridge Arts Theatre since 2014. He has been a finalist for the Red Planet Pictures Prize and his debut play The Top Table, was long-listed for the Theatre503 Playwriting Award. His play Cowboys was selected for Just Some Theatre’s Forward Dialogue initiative this summer.
Kevan Allen (Choreographer)
Kevan Allen’s extensive body of work can be seen with major recording artists, Theatre and stage productions, commercials and corporate events. Theatre credits include Jesus Christ Superstar and Chess in Concert. Film credits include Chicken Little, and 13 Going on 30. Television credits include Jane & Friends, Over the Rainbow, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance and The Brit Awards.
Mike Robertson (Lighting Designer)
A Guildhall graduate and an Olivier Award winner Mike’s work thankfully takes him all over the world designing lighting. Recent projects include A Christmas Carol, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, School of Rock, Annie and Billy Elliot. This is his fifteenth year at Cambridge Arts Theatre, his favourite venue!
Richard John (Supervising Musical Director/Arranger)
Richard’s musical direction highlights include How The Grinch Stole Christmas (NBC/Sky), The Last Ship (UK, Canada, USA Tour), Falsettos (The Other Palace), Aladdin (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Sinatra (London Palladium), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre); Dirty Dancing (Piccadilly Theatre); Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre); Desperately Seeking Susan (Novello Theatre); Corrugation Road (Black Swan Theatre, Australian national tour); The Small Poppies (Company B, Australian national tour); 2 Pianos 4 Hands (StageWorks, Australian/New Zealand/ Hong Kong tour) and The Midnight Gang (Western Australian Symphony Orchestra/Spare Parts Theatre, Australia).
