PANTO
NOMINATED FOR THREE NATIONAL AWARDS
Panto
cast and crew at The Customs House in South Shields are celebrating after being
shortlisted for three national awards.
 |
Matt Fox
(kneeling, left) and Paul Shriek (kneeling, right)
with the cast of Beauty and
the Beast.
|
The
nominations for The Great British Panto Awards were announced by comedian Al
Murray live on Facebook yesterday (Sunday, February 17). Beauty and the Beast, which was this year’s offering,
received nominations in the Best Comic, Best Pantomime Animal and Best Staging
and Set categories.
Ray
Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House, who co-writes, directs and
stars as Dame Bella in the annual production, said: “I’m absolutely delighted
to have not one, not two but three nominations this year. I’m so proud of them
all.”
 |
David John
Hopper as Arbuthnot
|
Talented
costume and set designers Matt Fox and Paul Shriek, of Newcastle-based Fox and Shriek,
were nominated for Best Staging and Set. It is their second nomination in The
Great British Panto Awards, with Paul taking home the award for Best Costume
Design at last year’s ceremony.
David
John Hopper, who is originally from Consett but now lives in South Shields, received
a nod for Best Comic for his portrayal as Dame Bella’s affable son Arbuthnot. And Sunderland actor Charlie Raine, who is
hearing impaired, has been shortlisted in the Best Pantomime Animal category
for her portrayal of signing sheep Cutlet.
 |
(l-r) Charlie
Raine as Cutlet, Ray Spencer as Dame Bella
and David John Hopper as Arbuthnot
in Beauty and the Beast
|
The
nominations come hot on the heels of the sold-out celebration of panto at The
Customs house, One Night in Cooksonville, on Friday, February 15. The variety show was put together as part of
the venue’s 25th anniversary programme this year and looked back on its
illustrious history with pantomime, bringing together faces from past and
present. Ray added: “A huge
congratulations to our panto cast and everybody involved in Beauty and the
Beast. What a week for
the Little Panto with the Big Heart.”
The
Great British Panto Awards, now in their third year, will take place at New
Wimbledon Theatre in London on Sunday, April 28, hosted by Christopher Biggins.
David
and Charlie will be back in character at The Customs House this week in panto
spin-off Arbuthnot and Pal’s Detective Agency - a half-term crime caper for the
under-10s and their families. It runs from Tuesday, February 19, to Friday,
February 22.
Tickets
are £8 and are available from the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or online at www.customshouse.co.uk.
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