The people of Poole with be feline fine this Christmas as Dick Whittington – and his faithful cat Tommy – take to the stage in the famous family pantomime adventure at Lighthouse.
But what’s this? There’s mischief afoot and it’s sewer to make you boo and hiss…
We’re thrilled (and slightly chilled) to reveal the baddie King Rat will be played by Sarah-Louise Young, who put the boo into Sleeping Beauty last year playing the bad fairy Carabosse!
“I’m very excited to be playing King Rat this year,” says Sarah-Louise. “I hope all the children and their grown ups have got their best boos and hisses… because they’re going to need them!
“King Rat is the king of the sewer and like all good baddies he’s very proud of that. He wears his crown and waves his magic toilet brush wand and he’s very pleased with himself – think Jack Sparrow meets Del Boy with a bit of Fagin and some Errol Flynn thrown in for good measure.
“I’ll let you into a little secret as well – he’s got three little rat-lings with him, my minions. They are absolutely going to upstage me every night and I will love it!”
From the same team that brought the house down with the acclaimed Sleeping Beauty last year, as well as the UK Panto Awards winners Aladdin in 2023 and Cinderella in 2022, Dick Whittington is the classic rags to riches tale written and directed by CBeebies star and Lighthouse favourite Chris Jarvis with production design by James Smith.
Audiences will be thrilled to see Chris back on stage as Dame Dolly Doughnuts with Poole-born West End star Bernadette Bangura, who is currently starring in Moulin Rouge and was last at Lighthouse as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray in 2022, playing Fairy Bowbelles. Also returning from last year is Bournemouth-based student Corben Heward-Mills, who was in the ensemble cast of Sleeping Beauty, to play Tommy the Cat.
“I’ve done a lot of pantos and I would say last year was one of my very happiest experiences,” adds Sarah-Louise. “I think it’s because of the way that Chris leads the company and there’s such a strong unity between him and James, with Adam (Tuffrey) the MD, and Dan (Todd) the choreographer, as well. When you have that shared vision it filters down and it’s really special.”
But first Sarah-Louise is set to appear at Lighthouse in her award-winning smash hit one-woman touring tribute An Evening With Kate Bush (2 October) as well as a new interactive music cabaret, This Is Your Tribute (1 November).
Dick Whittington is an exciting pantomime adventure that follows the traditional story about the poor young man who travels to London to make his fortune as he’s been told the streets are paved with gold. With the help of Tommy the Cat he gets a job with Alderman Fitzwarren a wealthy merchant and falls in love with Alice, his boss’ daughter. After falling foul of the villainous King Rat he is forced to leave town but turns back when called by the bells of Bow. What follows is a great adventure across the seas as Tommy helps Dick clear his name, defeat King Rat, win the hand of the fair Alice and securing his fortune.
The production will be made in Poole, especially for Lighthouse audiences, with lavish costumes and sets, magical special effects, spectacular musical numbers and loads of family comedy.
Further casting announcements will follow in the coming weeks. Tickets for Dick Whittington are available now at https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/ or on 01202 280000.
(NC)