|
Two
eight metre tall boots stood outside the Hippodrome to mark the
launch, then a trail of beans and balloons led the audience inside.
Joe
Pasquale
 |
| Joe
Pasquale with two cast members |
Leading
the cast, comedian Joe Pasquale will play Jack in the UK's biggest
pantomime.
Joe
started his career on stage at the Hippodrome 18 years ago. "I
don't have to lie to you," he said, "I love performing
in Birmingham!"
Letitia
Dean
 |
| Letitia
Dean in costume |
Actor
Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon Watts in BBC One's EastEnders, will
play the princess.
She
couldn't attend the launch but recorded a message which was relayed
to the crowd on a video screen.
Don
Maclean
Starring
as Dame Trot, Birmingham personality Don Maclean will take to the
stage in his eleventh season as pantomime dame. Don has appeared
in 33 pantomimes in total!
 |
| Don
Maclean in costume |
Don
played the dame in the Hippodrome's production of Jack And The Beanstalk
11 years ago; playing Jack then was Su Pollard.
Biggest
and best
Stuart
Griffiths, Chief Executive of The Hippodrome, said that, "it's
bizarre to be thinking about Christmas in May", but stressed
the planning that goes into "the biggest and best panto in
the country". Over
100,000 people see the Hippodrome's panto during its six and a half
week run (one of the longest in the UK).
 |
| Audience
watch the launch |
Producing
the show for Qdos Entertainment, Nick Thomas emphasised the "family
experience" of pantomime and promised "the biggest giant
in panto".
The
giant could not attend the launch... because he hasn't been built
yet!
|
