Category: Aladdin 2015

I’ve not been good with blog posts this season. Too busy!

But it’s going to be a fantastic panto!

We held the readthrough (etc) on Sunday – a first chance for everyone to meet and to talk through the show. It went really well. We managed to get through all the musical numbers, the whole script, and talk about the technical aspects of the production. A good day. And it’s going to be a great panto!

Rochelle Knowles Gadd will not be appearing with us this season for personal reasons – however we are delighted that we have secured the services of TV presenter and Pop Princess, Liberty X’s MICHELLE HEATON to play Aladdin! Michelle is going to be fabulous!

What a day yesterday was. Lots going on in pantoland. All will be revealed shortly!

So, a single individual complained to St Albans District Council about the panto banner being inappropriate. (What?!) St Albans District Council reacted to this one individual and ordered Harpenden Public Halls to take the banner down. Despite protestations by the HPH management, the Council ordered them to take it down. Harpenden Town Council weren’t consulted, and don’t have a problem with it. On Twitter, St Albans have said “for help on this try Harpenden Town Council” – but it wasn’t Harpenden Town Council, it was St Albans! (So why are they trying to deflect this!?). They have also said on Twitter “Banner went up too early” – but we know that isn’t the reason. It’s because of a single complainant! Have done several Press interviews today about this appalling reaction by St Albans District Council to one individual’s complaint. Let’s see where this goes….

A great meeting with Steve Parker to go through all the music we need for Aladdin – some new stuff, some old, some popular chart hits, some stuff from musicals – will all be fabulous!

It’s going to be an exciting panto this Christmas in Harpenden. Aladdin will be played by Rochelle Knowles Gadd, from Grange Hill, Hollyoaks and Tracy Beaker. The evil Abanazar will be played by EastEnders’ Pete Beale, actor Peter Dean. Ernie Almond from BBC 3 Counties Radio returns to play PC Pong. Simon Nicholas finishes his run in London at the Royal Opera House soon, in time to don frocks and become Widow Twankey. Andrew Willis plays Emperor, Sophie Massie plays Princess and Chris Law is Wishy Washy. John Stenhouse will be making an appearance as the Genie of the lamp.

So, Harpenden’s panto for 2015 will be Aladdin, and planning is well underway.

In the process of casting at the moment, the set has been booked, just need to write a script!