Giant casting announcement for Nottingham Playhouse panto Jack and The Beanstalk

A host of panto favourites are back for a super-sized extravaganza in this year’s show, Jack and the Beanstalk.

Nottingham Playhouse has announced the cast for this year’s pantomime, as everyone’s favourite, John Elkington, returns as Dame Daisy Trott to deliver the usual comedy chaos.

Joining John is another audience favourite, Tom Hopcroft (Sister Act, West End), one of the Playhouse’s Ugly Sisters in Cinderella last year alongside John, who will be playing his first baddie this year as Fleshcreep.

Also returning are the award-winning Jewelle Hutchinson (Best Newcomer 2023 Panto Awards) who played the title role in Cinderella last year, as bright and bubbly Jill, and Alice Redmond (Cinderella and Tracey Beaker Gets Real, Nottingham Playhouse) as Pat the Cow.

Bradley Judge (Sister Act, West End; Beauty and the Beast, Nottingham Playhouse) joins them as Silly Billy and Caroline Parker (Oliver Twist and Our Country’s Good, Ramps on the Moon) as the Fairy Godmother.

The casting of Jack is still to be announced.

14 youngsters will appear as the youth chorus, playing many farmyard characters, from scarecrows to chickens, and even assisting Fleshcreep with his mischievous plans.

The Inman team are Alexander Bunka, Lola-Mae Brown, Nathan Hayward, Mia Jacks, Gracie Nkala, Isabella Oguagwu and Malikea Smith. The Biggins team are Louis Gillespie, Nevaeh Jouhal, William Kent, Matilda Lamb, Amiya Maxwell, Anna Nguyen and Lois Westwick.

Jack and the Beanstalk runs from November 29, 2024, to January 18, 2025, and tickets are already on sale.

When Jack exchanges the family cow for mysterious beans, he begins an epic adventure when they grow into an enormous beanstalk.

Join Jack as he bravely climbs to discover a land above the clouds, where a ferocious giant lurks in his castle. Will Jack outwit the giant and leave with the magic harp the giant stole from his father? And can he bag the golden egg-laying goose that will change his family’s fortunes forever?

Expect top tunes, dazzling costumes, and plenty of audience participation in this super-sized extravaganza that will leave everyone feeling sky-high.

Adam Penford, artistic director at Nottingham Playhouse and writer and director of Jack and the Beanstalk, said: “Nottingham Playhouse has been proudly making a pantomime every year for over three decades. Created by our talented team of craftspeople in Nottingham, for the people of Nottingham. It's a joy to welcome back so many local professional actors, alongside the talented young chorus, drawn from communities across the region.

“With the wonderful John Elkington as our dame, Jack and the Beanstalk offers a crazy adventure with larger-than-life characters, lots of fun and fabulous music, an underdog hero — and a loveable cow. This year, we also celebrate musical director John Morton’s 35th anniversary of panto at Nottingham Playhouse.”

Jack and the Beanstalk is sponsored by Nottingham City Transport.