Stars named for Theatre Royal's winter panto

FORMER Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole and Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes are to top the bill in this year’s Theatre Royal Plymouth pantomime.

They will be taking to the stage between December 15 and January 13 for the production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

They will be joined by Coronation Street star Alexandra Mardell, West End star Samuel Holmes, who returns to his Plymouth roots, Britain’s Got Talent finalist and comedy ventriloquist Steve Hewlett and TV comedian and award-winning panto comic Adam C Booth.

Brendan Cole, who will be taking on the role of the Evil Ringmaster, appeared on every season of Strictly Come Dancing since it began in 2004 up until 2017. Most recently in 2022, Brendan starred in ITV’s Sunday night entertainment programme Dancing on Ice where he was one of the finalists. As a dancer, producer and entertainer, Brendan has staged his own song and dance show on 11 nationwide tours of the UK.

Dame Kelly Holmes will be making her pantomime debut at Theatre Royal Plymouth as The Ringmistress. Kelly joined the British Army at 17, serving for nearly 10 years, and in 1997 she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to the military.