Preview: Lambton Worm at South Shields Customs House

PANTO CAST ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE LAMBTON WORM

The Lambton Worm

South Shields Customs House

Tuesday 28^th November 2017 - Saturday 6^th January 2018

The Customs House is delighted to announce the full cast for this year’s panto.

Hot on the heels of the hugely successful Jack and the Beanstalk, Ray Spencer and Graeme Thompson have written a very special pantomime to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the best-loved Geordie folk song, The Lambton Worm.

Ray Spencer as Dame Bella Ballcock and

David John Hopper as Arbuthnot Hopper.

See The Brave and Bold Sir John battle the monster, save the day and win the heart of the beautiful princess, while wacky castle cook Dame Bella Ballcock and her useless son, Arbuthnot Hopper, wreak mayhem and run rings around Lord Larry Lambton.

This well-known north east tale will be brought to life in The Little Panto with the Big Heart’s fun-filled traditional pantomime, which runs from Tuesday, November 28, 2017, until Saturday, January 6, 2018.

Ray, who also directs the show, has been part of The Customs House pantomime for over 20 years, starting out as Tommy the Trumpeter and in the last three years, firmly establishing himself as one of the region’s most loveable Dames.  This year he takes on the role of Dame Bella Ballcock, forming a formidable double act with David John Hopper, who returns for a second year of playing the Dame’s hapless son, Arbuthnot Hopper.

Steven Lee Hamilton plays The Brave and Bold Sir John, returning to the role of principal boy for the first time in three years, during which time he instead played The Big Bad Wolf, The Mad Hatter and the most hated villain of all, Fleshcreep.

Comedian Cal Halbert – one half of Britain’s Got Talent’s The Mimic Men with BBC Radio Newcastle’s Alfie Joey – takes on the role of Lord Larry Lambton in his first north east panto.

Georgia Nicholson returns to The Customs House stage as Poison Pen from Penshaw, having appeared in The Dolly Mixtures and The Cinder Path.

Natasha Haws will play the soothsayer in her fourth pantomime appearance, having previously played Little Red Riding Hood, Alice and Eloise. Lewis Jobson, a newcomer to The Customs House panto, has been cast as Puddles the dog, while last year’s fairy, Eleanor Chaganis, will play the princess.

Gareth Hunter also returns to the pantomime as The Sultan, having played various characters over the years. He is well known to The Customs House audiences as a member of Encore, as well as a producer and director in his own right.

Designers Paul Shriek and Matt Fox are once again working their magic on the costumes and the sets and South Tyneside Dance Workshop will be providing the young dancers.

More than 27,000 people came to see Jack and the Beanstalk last year and it’s hoped that The Lambton Worm, sponsored by Hays Travel, can build on that success.

Tickets

For tickets, priced from £9.99, and show times, contact the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or visit www.customshouse.co.uk/theatre/the-lambton-worm.