New Wolsey Theatre’s “Cinderella” announces its cast: Eloise Richardson in the lead role, the rock’n’roll pantomime celebrates its 25th anniversary

The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich has announced the cast and creative team of this year’s pantomime “Cinderella”, its famous rock’n’roll production, as BroadwayWorld reports. This year’s celebration has an extra reason: a full 25 years since the title that started the theatre’s annual tradition in 2001.

In the lead role of Cinderella will be Eloise Richardson (Pigeon in “Beauty and the Beast”, Mary in “Caroline: A New Musical”). Alongside her, Max Gallagher (Mrs Ringer in “Beauty and the Beast”, Thornica in “Sleeping Beauty”, “War Horse”) will be Dame Lady Garden, while Signe Larsson (Footloose, Snarlina in “Beauty and the Beast”) plays the wicked sister Mould. The cast is completed by Alexander Jude as Prince Henry, Ethan Pascal Peters as Buttons, Ava Duncan as Fairy Dogmother, Emily A. Windham as the sister Mildew and Peter Shipway as Bibbity Bob.

The creative team is led by executive and artistic director Douglas Rintoul and Olivier Award-nominated writer Vikki Stone, a Pantomime Award winner. “It is a real privilege to lead the New Wolsey’s rock’n’roll pantomime — there is nothing like it: half concert, half pantomime, completely live and gloriously anarchic,” said Rintoul, who is looking forward to sharing the production with the loyal audience and a new generation of theatregoers.

As every year, the actors are not only the performers of the story — they are the band themselves, bringing the stage “down” with live music and the energetic hits that have made this pantomime an Ipswich tradition. For audiences who cannot reach the hall, the theatre again offers the livestream version: a £30 payment covers the viewing party for the whole family, on multiple dates. The production will also have accessible performances during the season — with audio description, captions, British Sign Language interpretation and relaxed performances — as well as noisier “Late Night Specials” for over-18s on selected Friday evenings, one of which will be livestreamed for the first time.