Strictly's Joanne Clifton and CBeebies' Andy Day to star in Royal & Derngate’s pantomime Cinderella

Strictly champion and musical theatre star Joanne Clifton and CBeebies favourite Andy Day will head up the cast for this year’s spectacular pantomime Cinderella at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate this December.

Rising to fame as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, where she lifted the glitterball with her celebrity partner Ore Oduba in 2016, the world champion ballroom dancer Joanne Clifton has more recently been seen in top musical theatre productions, including The Addams Family, The Rocky Horror Show and Flashdance. Currently touring as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, Joanne will be casting her magic as the Fairy Godmother this Christmas.

Taking the role of Dandini is one of CBeebies’ most popular personalities, Andy Day. His many shows for the channel include the BAFTA-nominated Andy’s Wild Adventures and Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures, and he even has his own pop band Andy and the Oddsocks. He has appeared for many years in CBeebies’ annual televised pantomime in addition to starring in panto at theatres around the country.

Joining the cast as Ugly Sisters are Gordon Cooper and Matt Daines, both seasoned pantomime performers, most recently appearing together at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil last Christmas.

Building on the success of last year’s smash hit Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 2022’s Jack and the Beanstalk, Royal & Derngate are pleased to be continuing their partnership with award-winning pantomime producers Evolution Productions. A family business, run by husband and wife Paul Hendy and Emily Wood, Evolution are four-time winners of Pantomime of The Year in the Great British Pantomime Awards.

Jo Gordon, Chief Executive at Royal & Derngate, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce such a brilliant cast, and look forward welcoming audiences into the theatre for what promises to be a fantastic festive outing. Christmas is such a special time of year, and it’s always a joy to see so many children introduced to the magic of theatre for the very first time.

“For me as a mum, Andy Day was a firm fixture in my house for many years, bringing such joy to my two kids. So to see him bring his bags of fun and skill to the stage alongside Joanne, who continues to wow people across the country with her musical theatre performances, will be such a treat.”

Written by Paul Hendy and directed by Emily Wood, Cinderella promises to be spectacular, top quality entertainment, with lavish sets, hilarious jokes and fun for all the family.

Emily Wood added: “We're so excited to be bringing the most magical of all the pantomimes, Cinderella, to Royal & Derngate this Christmas, especially with this incredible, top quality cast. Joanne has not only won Strictly but has also starred in numerous musicals, many of which have toured to Northampton. Andy Day is a hero to every family who has watched CBeebies in the last decade! He is a wonderful pantomime performer and we know he'll be a huge hit with the Northampton audiences. Throw in two of the very best Uglies in the business, Gordon Cooper and Matt Daines, and we are sure to have the very best festive offering this year. We can't wait to see you all at the ball.”

Cinderella will run from Friday 6 to Tuesday 31 December 2024. For more information and to book tickets, go to www.royalandderngate.co.uk or call Box Office on 01604 624811. The schedule includes a range of access enhanced performances, including audio-described, captioned, signed, relaxed and dementia friendly performances.