Derby LIVE announce full cast line up for Peter Pan
It is just a matter of weeks until Peter Pan flies into Derby Arena for Christmas 2019. Derby LIVE and Little Wolf Entertainment are really excited to be hosting the annual pantomime for the third year running, from Saturday 7 December to Saturday 4 January.
This year’s talented cast include Best Dame nominee Morgan Brind, Emmerdale and Coronation Street’s Bill Ward and Katrina Bryan from CBeebies' Nina and the Neurons and Molly & Mack.
Bill Ward will be rocking the seas of the Derby Arena stage as the evil Captain Hook, who everyone will love to hate. A professional actor for 20 years, Bill has built himself a huge career across theatre, TV and film and has won numerous awards for his work. Bill is no stranger to playing the villain, after appearing on screen in two of the country’s top soaps; the sadistic, evil character of Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and in over 700 episodes as James Barton in Emmerdale. Bill’s other television credits include; Silent Witness; True Crime; Casualty; Doctors; The Bill; Robin Hood; Midsomer Murders; Heartbeat; Cold Blood; Fallen; Holby City; EastEnders; Swag; Severn Stories; Jonathan Creek; Footballers’ Wives; Rose and Maloney; In Deep and Make My Day.
Bill has just finished strutting his stuff in heels, having starred as Hugo/Loco Chanel in Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, (maybe he could give our dame ‘Auntie Hilda’ a good run for her money?). Bill also starred in the UK tour of Legally Blonde. Other West End credits include Viva Forever, Million Dollar Quartet, and Spamalot. His film credits include A Dark Reflection; The Great Ghost Rescue; The Haunting of Ellie Rose; Practice Makes Perfect and Adam and Steve.
The role of much loved Tinker Bell will be performed by Katrina Bryan, well known for her work on the CBeebies channel. Beginning in 2007, she played Nina in the award winning series Nina and the Neurons. She currently plays the role of Alice in another hit show, Molly and Mack. Other CBeebies shows include Thumbelina, The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan and Strictly Cinderella.
Katrina’s other TV appearances include Fried (BBC3), Sea of Souls and the recurring role as Pathologist Ellis Sinclair in Taggart.
For the past 2 years, Morgan Brind has entertained Derby Arena audiences as the loveable panto Dame in Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Jack and the Beanstalk (2018). Morgan is back for a third year running as Auntie Hilda: the odd looking one that refuses to grow up!
Derby born Morgan is the co-founder of Little Wolf Entertainment, whose productions this season include Jack and the Beanstalk (Loughborough Town Hall) and Robin Hood (Core Theatre, Solihull). This season actually marks the seventeenth pantomime he will have written and co-produced.
This year he has also created designs for Snow White (Harrogate Theatre), Mother Goose (Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury), Peter Pan (Grove Theatre, Dunstable) and Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Lord Chamberlain’s Men UK/European Tour).
He won the ‘Best Set and Staging’ award at The Great British Pantomime Awards 2018 for his work on Beauty and The Beast at our own Derby Arena.
As a great performer himself, Morgan’s theatre credits include work with Derby’s own Maison Foo in Pendulums Bargain Emporium. He worked with Derby LIVE and Oldham’s Coliseum on a production of Everyone Look at Me and has worked several times with Lord Chamberlain’s Men in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet as well as the The Outdoor Shakespeare for Radio 4.
Alongside Bill, Katrina and Morgan, making his panto debut here in Derby, Peter Pan will be played by Thomas Grant. Thomas trained with the National Youth Theatre and The Royal Academy of Music.
After successfully completing training, Thomas went on to perform in many theatre shows including the popular Cabaret (Bristol Bierkeller), Get Your Sh*t Together (Landor Theatre), Moulin Rouge (Secret Cinema, Intemperance (New Vic Theatre), Exiles (The National Theatre), The Cereal Café (The Other Places) and The Dreamers (Abbey Road). Some audience members may recognise Thomas from his television appearances, which include; Midsomer Murders (ITV); Gil Mayo (BBC) and Murder Prevention (C5).
Abigail Finley will be playing both Mrs Darling and the Mermaid. Abi trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama. She first came to the public’s attention on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit BBC Television show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? reaching the Semi Finals. Following the show Abi had the great honour of working with Sir Tim Rice, taking the lead female role of Fiona in his revival of Blondel (Pleasance Theatre, London).
Recently Abi took on the role of Jane in Channel 4’s short film Apology, played composer Ellie Greenwich in Leader Of The Pack at Waterloo East Theatre (OFFIE nominated for Best Actress), has been a part of Showstoppers: The Improvised Musical and embraced her inner hippy playing Sheila in the European tour of Hair.
Her television credits include How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? (BBC Television); When Joseph Met Maria BBC Television); Whodunit (BBC Worldwide).
Rebecca Brierley will be soaring alongside Thomas as our young and not so innocent Wendy. Rebecca trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and has been involved in numerous theatre shows such as LV in The Rise and Fall of Little Voices (Derby Theatre); The Sound of Music and The Railway Children (London’s King Cross Theatre).
Known for her beautiful voice, Rebecca has also performed as Vocalist for Belle Noir Band and was backing vocalist for Alfie Boe and Katie Mellua in The Festival of Remembrance (Royal Albert Hall).
Returning to Derby Arena, after playing Simple Simon in last year’s panto Jack and the Beanstalk (Little Wolf Entertainment), Richard Brindley will appear as Quick Draw Macaw.
Richard trained at The Royal Academy of Music and Exeter University. Richard loves a good panto and has performed in a fair few; Beauty and the Beast (Radlett Centre) and Sleeping Beauty (PolkaDot Pantomines). He has also done a couple of UK tours with shows The Railways Children and Iolanthe.
Roddy Peters will appear as Starkey this year. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier award and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Roddy has worked with Little Wolf Entertainment before when playing Mervin in Sleeping Beauty at Loughborough Town Hall. His other theatre credits include Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs (Southbank Centre) and in the popular BFG (Bolton Octagon).
It is not too late to buy for panto goers to buy Peter Pan tickets, but be quick; the croc is ticking!
Peter Pan will be on stage at Derby Arena from Saturday 7 December 2019 until Saturday 4 January 2020, tickets priced from £14.75 with concessions, group, school and family tickets available, You can ask for discounts at scontibox.com.
Tickets can be purchased from the Sales and Information Centre on 01332 255800 or book online at derbylive.co.uk or in person on Riverside Chambers, Full Street.
Watch the Peter Pan trailer at youtu.be/B5PHdCdLCDsv
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