The Hexagon are delighted to announce their full casting line up for the meow-vellous Easter panto, Puss in Boots. Joining the previously announced Hear’Say singer Suzanne Shaw and CBeebies’ Chris Jarvis are Kate Eaves and Emma Jane Wylde who recently played the deliciously wicked step-sisters in Cinderella over Christmas. Also joining the cast are Ben Millerman as Dame Dorothy Donut and Daniel Tawse as Baron Herman Von Thunderpants.
Steve Boden, Managing Director of Imagine Theatre who produce the panto says, “The Hexagon’s Cinderella audiences loved booing Kate and Emma this Christmas, so they seemed a natural choice to invite back for Puss in Boots, albeit in very different roles.”
Kate Eaves will be taking on the title role of Puss in Boots with Emma Jane Wylde taking on the dual roles of Fairy and Queen.
Kate says “I appeared at The Hexagon in Peter Pan a few years ago so being back for the recent Christmas season was wonderful. The front of house team and crew backstage are incredibly friendly and hard-working, and it really does feel like a home away from home. Our production of Cinderella was really well received and we all definitely had the 'panto blues' once it had finished.”
“I have great memories of Cinderella, but one that wasn’t so great for me, but hilarious for everyone else, was running off stage in the ball and tripping up on the smoke machine, falling flat on my face in my big purple dress and Emma having to slide me off stage by my arms which she will never let me live down!”
“I am very excited for Puss in Boots and feel extremely lucky to have been given another new challenge to take on as I've never played a principal boy (or cat) before. I'm really looking forward to doing my first ever thigh slap!”
Emma adds “My first Christmas in Reading was brilliant, and I am delighted to be invited back for the Easter panto. I never thought I would enjoy being a baddie as much as I did but I loved it, particularly getting to interact with the audience. It was also an added bonus that I got to do it opposite my real-life best friend, Kate!”
“I have so many wonderful memories from Cinderella, but I think my favourite one was seeing my two year old niece Eva in the audience smiling and waving at me. She also shouted my name ‘Emma’ about 500 times whilst I was on stage in a scene and it was very hard trying to ignore her!”
This will be Ben Millerman’s first time on the stage at The Hexagon and he is very excited to star in his first Easter panto.
“This will be my fourth time playing Dame, but my first at Easter, and I love the outlandish costumes that I get to wear. While the comic role is there to make the kids laugh, I really believe the Dame is there to make the adults laugh. I love the double entendre that the Dame gets away with and the ability to play with the audience. It's a role that I loved as a child watching pantomimes and a role which is a joy to perform.”
“I'm excited to do pantomime at a different time of year and give families another chance to spend time together and experience the joy of live theatre.”
Daniel Tawse has previously played the role of Eugene in Beauty and the Beast for producer Imagine Theatre at De Montfort Hall in Leicester and he is delighted to be playing baddie once more.
Book your tickets now for this truly furr-midable Easter panto which is guaranteed to leave you fe-line happy! The show runs from Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 April 2020.
To book tickets for the top-cat of all pantos please visit whatsonreading.com or call the box office on 0118 960 6060.
