International NewsElaine Paige Will Return to the West End as Dick Whittington's Queen RatAlso joining the holiday engagement are Britain's Got Talent winners Ashley Banjo and Diversity.
By
Ryan McPhee
June 02, 2017
Elaine Paige
U.K. stage star Elaine Paige will return to the West End in Dick Whittington at the London Palladium. The Olivier winner will play Queen Rat in the limited holiday engagement, which is set to run December 9 through January 14, 2018, with an official opening December 13.
Joining Paige and the previously announced Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, and Nigel Havers will be Ashley Banjo and his dance troupe Diversity (winners of Britain's Got Talent) as the Sultan and his entourage, Gary Wilmot as Sarah the Cook, and Charlie Stempt (Half a Sixpence) in the title role.
Alan McHugh will pen the pantomime, based on the British rags-to-riches folktale.
Paige, who has created such iconic roles in the West End as Eva Perón in Evita and Grizabella in Cats, also has a handful of tour dates through the U.K. in October and November. Click here for the full schedule.
Dick Whittington will be directed by Michael Harrison and choreographed by Karen Bruce; Nick Thomas and Harrison produce for Qdos Entertainment. The creative team also includes musical supervisor and orchestrator Gary Hind, lighting designer Ben Cracknell, set designer Ian Westbrook (3D Creations), costume designer Hugh Durrant, projection designer Duncan McLean, sound designer Gareth Owen, and special effects coordinator The Twins FX.
The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his most beloved stories.
