A THEATRE has announced the cast for its Christmas pantomime Dick Whittington – and it includes a star from the Harry Potter films.

Chris Rankin, best known for playing Percy Weasley in the wizarding world franchise, will join the cast at the Corn Exchange in Newbury for this year’s festive production from Friday, November 29 to Sunday, January 5.

The show, directed by Hobbit star and Newbury local Adam Brown, will tell the story of Dick and his trusty cat on a quest to seek fame and fortune, in a show packed with plenty of magic and chart-topping songs from across the decades.

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(Image: Newbury Corn Exchange) As the dynamic duo journey from Newburyshire to London, it soon becomes clear that perhaps everything is not what it seems.

The show promises to provide festive fun for the whole family with a cast including Rankin as Alderman Fitzwarren and Kai Harris (West End Does Christmas 2023) as Dick Whittington with his trusty sidekick cat Cosmo, played by Jade Johnson (The Book of Mormon).

Causing mischief and mayhem as the evil King Rat will be Alex Crandon, who has previously performed in Cinderella at Salisbury Playhouse. Scott Riney will be playing the Dame to bring some classic Christmas fun to the stage.

Grace Kelly Miller will be investigating the chaos as Detective Fairy Bowbells and Shannon Bourne, who performed in Becoming Nancy and the tour of Stranger Sings!, joins as Alice Fitzwarren.

The ensemble features Jake Poolman, who has performed in Les Misérables and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Adam Craig (The Wizard of Oz) and Finna Hardy who makes her pantomime debut.

The show has been created by Plested Brown and Wilsher, which is made up of Clare Plested, Adam Brown and Amanda Wilsher.

Clare Plested is an acclaimed actress, writer, and comedian, and was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Awards in 2022.

Newbury local Adam Brown is best known for playing Ori in The Hobbit and recently appeared alongside Sir Ian McKellen in Mother Goose at Theatre Royal, Brighton.

Amanda Wilsher is a firm favourite for Newbury, as she previously directed Jack and the Beanstalk in 2022 and Beauty and the Beast last year.

Corn Exchange Newbury’s director Jessica Jhundoo-Evans said: “The pantomime is such a special time of year for everyone at the Corn Exchange. We are delighted to present Dick Whittington this year and look forward to welcoming thousands of people from our local community to see it as part of this much-loved festive tradition.”

The Corn Exchange in Newbury is running its Panto Pay it Forward appeal, providing free pantomime tickets to those in the community who are most in need.

The Corn Exchange Newbury believes passionately that cost should not be a barrier to experiencing the magic of pantomime. Their Panto Pay it Forwards appeal has been well-received, making a positive difference in the community and providing a joyful cultural experience to those who would otherwise not be able to attend.

Thanks to supporters in 2023, the Corn Exchange Newbury was able to distribute 555 free tickets.

Tickets from £20 can be bought via phone 01635 522733 or online at cornexchangenew.com/events/dick-whittington-2.