We’re egg-cited to announce that Lee Latchford-Evans will be starring in our Easter Pantomime Beauty and The Beast on the 13th April at 2pm & 6pm! Head to our website for tickets and more information…
About Lee Latchford-Evans
Lee was born in Chester, England and raised in Ellesmere Port.
Lee always loved sports and performing.
At a very early age he was auditioning for school productions and being cast in Nativity plays and musicals as well as playing for the school football team.
At 15 Lee decided to put his name down for the school production of Grease not thinking anything would really come of it.
Lee landed the lead role and after becoming a big hit with his friends and teachers the love for performing truly came to life.
Lee pushed for audition after audition and eventually landed a role acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as becoming the first male to successfully audition for a place on the dancer’s course at West Cheshire college of Dance and Drama.
During this time Lee was also heavily into martial Arts and Football.
He was spotted by a Wimbledon football scout and had the hard decision of seeing where that would go (maybe professional) or going to dance and drama college (Billy Elliot style).
Being working class and his parents having already paid, he chose the theatre route.
At the age of 19 after passing his A levels in dance and achieving his B tech National diploma in performing Arts Lee moved from the North and travelled to the South where he was accepted into the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom. Here Lee trained in Musical Theatre, Acting and many styles of dance leaving the college with his school diploma and LAMDA certificates in Acting.
On leaving college Lee successfully auditioned for the musical Tommy and for a very unknown pop project.
Again having quite a major ‘crossroads in life’ decision not knowing what would happen Lee chose the pop project.
Nowadays Lee is best known for being one fifth of the pop phenomenon “STEPS”
Lee has travelled the world with the band hitting the top of the single and album charts in the UK, Japan, Australia, continental Europe, SE Asia and touring extensively with Britney Spears all over America.
Despite announcing their split on boxing day 2001 Steps got back together in 2011.
They remain together to this day releasing Album after Album, a succession of sold out Arena Tours, achieving numerous awards including the prestigious Brit Award, Attitudes ‘Icon’ award and have sold in excess of 22million records worldwide.
Brace yourselves for TV Gastronaut Stefan Gates’ hilarious, high-tech, highly-explosive new family show, packed with science stunts, spectacular experiments and bizarre props.
After mesmerizing audiences across five continents with over 700 shows, Tap Factory is thrilled to make its return to the UK with its 10th Anniversary Tour! Prepare to be captivated as eight extraordinary male performers deliver a sensational blend of dance, acrobatics, music, and comedy, creating a show that appeals to audiences of all ages.
Everybody cut loose because Footloose, the Musical, is dancing into Weymouth. This smash hit show is being staged by WOW Youth Musical Theatre, the outstanding group who thrilled audiences with their acclaimed productions of Grease, Oliver! and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: Teen Edition.
Louis Pearl has been thrilling audiences around the world for over 30 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. He is a favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he has enjoyed 14 years of sell-out success.
Celebrating 75 amazing years in show business, Sooty, Sweep and Soo are planning a very special birthday party and you’re all invited. However, in true Sooty style nothing goes to plan!
Don’t miss another fun-filled Easter pantomime from the same team behind The Wizard of Oz and Rapunzel. With a star cast, impressive music, energetic dance routines as well as plenty of jokes, slapstick and heaps of audience participation!
Charlie loves reading. Especially books about pirates. But his sister hates it – it’s boring! Can Charlie convince her that reading is fun? Perhaps if she read a book about a pirate, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading a book about a knight…
An award-winning extravaganza that plays tribute to one of the leading contemporary recording artists of our time. Katy Ellis a self obsessed ‘Swiftie’ with an incredible live band and dancers promises to deliver the most authentic recreation of a Taylor Swift show you will ever see.
Let your dreams take flight at Weymouth Pavilion… Join the boy who never grows up… Peter Pan and take part in his adventures with Wendy as they fly off to Neverland and meet some fantastical characters along the way; Tinker Bell, the Lost Children, Tiger Lily, Nana the dog, Pirates, Mr Smee and the wicked Captain Hook.
Our 2024 is constantly growing, keep checking on our website to see what’s new or subscribe to our emails and be the first to know!
This week 10 years ago, Phil Say signed the Weymouth Pavilion lease followed by officially opening a week later on the 13th July. When the doors opened 10 years ago, Phil, Lou and the team started from scratch. They had no computers, no booking system, no phones and no shows. We’re all immensely proud of how far the Pavilion has come since. We’ve seen in excess of 2 million visitors! We have a diverse and busy programme all year-round, with ‘Something for Everyone’ and we have regular weddings and events in our function rooms.
We would like to say a massive thank you to the community for your support, whether you’ve visited to see us for a coffee and a chat, see a show or volunteer, we couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to another decade!
Look who’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas tree’! We’re pleased to announce that Julie Storey is back at Weymouth Pavilion to take care of our events! Whether you want to hire a room for a wedding, birthday party, conference, meeting or more, Julie will be here to guide you and make sure your event at Weymouth Pavilion is one to remember.
“The Dorset Echo once quoted me as saying “if the bulldozers come to knock down the Pavilion, I will chain myself to the building”!
My passion for the Pavilion goes back to my childhood days when I began dancing on the stage and then many years later, the excitement of getting to the year 2000 when I had my first show here with my “Let’s Dance” school. Fast forward to 2013 and having been one of the many fighting to keep the Pavilion from being turned into a car park, I was delighted to start work here on the day that the new Community Interest Company, headed up by Phil Say and Lou Dominey, reopened the building! From then through to the start of 2020 it was my great pleasure to organise many events including weddings, large scale conferences, exhibitions and even a dog show! After the pandemic forced the closure with many of us then having to go off in different directions, I am very happy to now be back in my former role as Events Manager. There is so much scope here for all sizes of event with the Theatre, Ocean Room, Piano Bar and newly furbished Sun Deck Suite (with access to the Pavilion balcony and its panoramic sea views) all available for hire. If you are interested in having a look around the venue please get in touch and we can arrange a tour!”
November/December is one of our favourite and busiest times of the year! Last week was especially chaotic (in a good way).
Our week kicked off with the World Cup which we streamed in the Ocean Room on Monday 21st November and Friday 25th November, we couldn’t believe how many of you turned up! Our tech manager and maintenance manager did an incredible job in adding some sparkle and making sure we have the biggest screens in town! Don’t forget, we are streaming the World Cup again on Tuesday 29th November, find out more on our website.
On Saturday the cast of our Christmas Pantomime Sleeping Beauty spread festive cheer at the Weymouth Christmas Light Switch On. The cast did some short performances and sing-songs on stage and had the honours of switching on the lights. Despite the rain and unfortunate power cut, the cast battled through and did Weymouth Pavilion proud!
A BLAST WITH THE CAST AT KINGSTON MAURWARD COLLEGE
We had a blast with the cast at Weymouth Pavilion on Monday when they visited the venue for their press call (OH YES THEY DID!)
The cast were introduced on stage by the Director Guy Pascall and the press were entertained with songs and banter performed by panto villain Carabosse, played by Harriet Bacon, Tommy McGowan as the Prince and of course Stevi Ritchie as Jester!
After the press call, the cast headed over to Kingston Maurward College where they made themselves at home! Check out their dazzling photoshoot!
Our dazzling new 3D Christmas Pantomime can be seen at Weymouth Pavilion from the 10th December – 2nd January, don’t wait around, grab your tickets now!
Stevi started performing at the age of 16 and trained at the London School of Musical Theatre and ALRA for the 3 years acting course.
Stevi then went on to perform in various Pantomimes around the country such as Buttons in Cinderella, Aladdin & Wishee Washee in Aladdin, Potty Pierre in Beauty and the Beast, Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk and most recently Tin Man in the UK Tour of The Wizard of Oz.
Stevi has also toured the country with various children’s theatre tours.
Stevi Ritchie first found fame on the X Factor 2014 where he placed 6th out of 16 acts and was the last wildcard standing mentored by Simon Cowell.
Cheryl bought him back as a wildcard after being knocked out of the competition at Judges Houses.
Since X Factor he has appeared on numerous TV shows such as This Morning where he presented the Prize Giveaway Competition as well as 8 out of 10 Cats, Celebrity Benchmark, Big Brothers Bit on the Side, Reality Bites & Who’s Doing The Dishes to name but a few.
Stevi then entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and came 5th in the final.
He since has released a single in Japan with Sony Japan with top Producer Mr Akimoto.
Stevi has a very supportive family and a wonderful daughter called Summer.
Stevi is delighted to be returning to the Pavilion this Christmas in Sleeping Beauty where he looks forward to playing the role of ‘Chester the Jester’ and making everyone in Weymouth laugh.
CHARLOTTE ALLEN – Princess Aurora
Having spent the last year in Turkey as a production cast vocalist for Tui Blue Sensatori, Charlotte is extremely grateful and excited to be returning to her hometown for the festive season. She last performed at Weymouth Pavilion in ‘Pirates of the Pavilion’ in 2017. Since then, she has travelled as a vocalist abroad and on home soil, notably as a resident Cast Vocalist at Butlin’s Minehead and Skegness.
She has always loved Pantomime, from her first performance as a juvenile in 2007 to her professional principal debut in 2014. She has played many roles such as ‘Princess Pearl’ in The Little Mermaid, ‘Fairy Gee’ in Cinderella but her favourite being ‘Carabosse’ in a previous production of Sleeping Beauty. Charlotte is very excited to be swapping naughty for nice and putting on her tiara as Princess Aurora this Christmas.
Charlotte’s love of theatre and singing was nurtured by her wonderful vocal coach Martine Burt and ‘WOW Youth Musical Theatre’ to whom she would like to thank for their years of encouragement and fond memories.
CHRIS CASSERLY – Dame
Chris trained at Drama Studio London and The Artists Theatre School, under the mentorship of Amanda Redman.
This Wizard of Oz tour will be Chris’ 25th pantomime. Last December, Chris was delighted to return to Dorking, having previously played Dame and directed Aladdin in 2013 and Jack and the Beanstalk 2014. Since then, he has spent three panto seasons in London, followed by Ipswich and Newcastle.
At Christmas Chris plays a blatent “bloke in a dress”, his Dame roles have been in Cinderella (Radlett, Epsom Playhouse), Beauty and the Beast (Gravesend, Fareham), Aladdin (Dorking, Newcastle), Jack and the Beanstalk (Crewe Lyceum, Dorking), Dick Whittington (Theatre Royal Lincoln), Snow White (Radlett, Telford, Ipswich Regent and Shaw Theatre London). Chris played PC Ping Pong in Aladdin (Dunstable), Empress in Aladdin (Halifax), Alderman Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington (tour), and the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz (Shaw Theatre London).
In the West End, Chris spent 18 months with English National Opera, performing in The Handmaid’s Tale (directed by Phyllida Lloyd), The Rhinegold, The Valkyrie and Semele (London Coliseum).
Other theatre work includes The Wheels on the Bus (No1 UK Tour), Wise Women (Tour), Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Little Shop of Horrors, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. Chris played King Cuthbert in the UK tour of Rapunzel, and the Wizard in a previous UK tour of The Wizard of Oz.
Directing credits include Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk (Dorking), and The Wizard of Oz, Snow White and Jack and the Beanstalk (Shaw Theatre London)
On television, Chris played Simon Hall in New Tricks (BBC), as well as roles in At Home with the Braithwaites (ITV), Other People’s Children (BBC), Tamil Tales (Sky), and Being Dad (Sky).
Chris performed with Sir Paul McCartney at the O2. He was murdered in the film Barn Dance, and is the voice of Suzuki in the award winning horror film Iche the Killer.
ELLENA BACON – Fairy Fortywinks
Ellena trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, London and graduated in 2020 with a Trinity Diploma in professional musical theatre.
Credits include: Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (The Shaw Theatre, London) and (UK Tour), Linda Manero in Saturday Night Fever (Italia Conti Academy), Sarah Kine in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Italia Conti Academy), Aladdin in Aladdin (Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe), Cinderella in Cinderella (Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe).
Ellena is thrilled to be playing the role of Fairy Fortywinks this Christmas in Sleeping Beauty. She hopes you all enjoy the show and that you give the wicked fairy Carabosse an extra loud “Boo!”
HARRIET BACON – Carabosse
Harriet trained at Performers College and graduated with a Trinity National Diploma in professional musical theatre.
Harriet’s credits include; The Wicked Witch of The West in The Wizard of Oz (The Shaw Theatre, London) and (UK Tour), Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (Dorking Halls, Surrey), Snow White in Snow White (Ipswich Regent Theatre), Jack and the Beanstalk (Truro, Hall for Cornwall), Sleeping Beauty (Truro, Hall for Cornwall), The X Factor (ITV), FA Cup Final (ITV).
Harriet is incredibly excited to be returning to Weymouth Pavilion this Christmas and starring alongside some of her favourite panto performers.
TOMMY MCGOWAN – Prince
Tommy McGowan was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland and has had a passion for the performing arts from a young age. At 16 he began his training at the Dance School of Scotland and moving into Guildford School it Acting and Motherwell College where he gained a BA Honours Degree in Musical Theatre.
Tommy has spent the last few years travelling the world on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise lines performing in Broadway and West End shows. Tommy is incredibly thankful to be back in stage and joining the amazing cast and crew for Sleeping Beauty in Weymouth this Christmas!
Theatre credits include: Drew Bowley in Rock of Ages, Galileo in We Will Rock You, Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde, Roger Davies in Rent, Chad in All Shook Up, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Charlie Price in Kinky Boots, Joe Casey in Our House.
The Ocean Film Festival Programme is now announced!
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is returning to Weymouth Pavilion on the 20th September! We can now announce the event will contain 7 short films, see below to see the full programme. For tickets head to theOcean Film Festival page hereor call 01305 783 225.
Circumnavigate
Father of three Brendon Prince, from South Devon, attempts to become the first person ever to stand-up paddleboard around mainland Britain – a challenge that many have tried, but none have achieved. Circumnavigate joins Brendan on his gruelling journey around Britain’s spectacular and often treacherous coastline, in an attempt to break five world records and raise awareness for water safety education.
Mar
Portugal’s exposed northwest coast produces powerful and challenging waves, which makes for a life and death moment for big wave surfer Alex Botelho during a surf competition. Mar is a tale of discovery, triumph and (almost) tragedy, but above all it’s a life-affirming celebration of surfing its original form – with exciting camera angles and stunning big-wave riding. You’ll be on the edge of your seat!
Tiger (Shark) King
More than 20 years ago, conservationist and diver Jim Abernethy discovered the ‘affectionate’ side of large predatory sharks after removing a fishing hook from the jaws of a tiger shark. Since then, he has removed thousands of hooks from sharks in the warm, clear waters off the Bahamas and has brought divers to safely encounter these apex predators with the goal of de-stigmatising sharks as mindless killers.
Eyre & Sea
At the remote Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, vast desert spills into roaring ocean and weather is king. It’s a pristine environment supporting a unique array of wildlife, including the endangered Australian sea lion. Here, in a town with a population of three, lives Alan. In a life shaped around the natural world, an unlikely relationship with a colony of seals has fundamentally changed him.
Rebirth
In Rebirth we meet Benoit, a surfer from the Basque country, fighting for his love of riding waves after a freak accident. Through perseverance and an upbeat spirit, the challenge to adapt develops Benoit both physically and mentally. His journey pushes him to relearn and find freedom from surfing once again, while inspiring new possibilities for the adaptive surf community.
If You Give A Beach Bottle
Max Romey is a filmmaker and painter who uses a unique blend of watercolours and videography to tell stories. Inspired by a picture book, Max heads to a remote beach in Alaska in search of marine debris – and comes back with an entirely different story to the one he was expecting.
I Am Ocean
I am Ocean showcases the inspirational story of Australian diver, oceanographer and underwater photographer PT Hirschfield, who’s successful 11-year battle with cancer has been fuelled by her passion for scuba diving, a deep connection with the underwater world, and a mission to save the wildlife at her local dive sites.
We are overjoyed to announce that X Factor’s STEVI RITCHIE will be returning to Weymouth as he takes the role as the JESTER in our Christmas Pantomime Sleeping Beauty!
Stevi started performing at the age of 16 and trained at the London School of Musical Theatre and ALRA for the 3 years acting course.
Stevi then went on to perform in various Pantomimes around the country such as Buttons in Cinderella, Aladdin & Wishee Washee in Aladdin, Potty Pierre in Beauty and the Beast, Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk and most recently Tin Man in the UK Tour of The Wizard of Oz.
Stevi has also toured the country with various children’s theatre tours.
Stevi Ritchie first found fame on the X Factor 2014 where he placed 6th out of 16 acts and was the last wildcard standing mentored by Simon Cowell.
Cheryl bought him back as a wildcard after being knocked out of the competition at Judges Houses.
Since X Factor he has appeared on numerous TV shows such as This Morning where he presented the Prize Giveaway Competition as well as 8 out of 10 Cats, Celebrity Benchmark, Big Brothers Bit on the Side, Reality Bites & Who’s Doing The Dishes to name but a few.
Stevi then entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and came 5th in the final.
He since has released a single in Japan with Sony Japan with top Producer Mr Akimoto.
Stevi has a very supportive family and a wonderful daughter called Summer.
Stevi is delighted to be returning to Weymouth this Christmas in Sleeping Beauty where he looks forward to playing the role of ‘Jester’ and making everyone laugh.
You can see Sleeping Beauty at Weymouth Pavilion from the 10th December – 2nd January at 2pm or 6pm, tickets are already selling fast to make sure you book fast!
We’re egg-cited to announce that Lee Latchford-Evans will be starring in our Easter Pantomime Beauty and The Beast on the 13th April at 2pm & 6pm! Head to our website for tickets and more information…
Look who’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas tree’! We’re pleased to announce that Julie Storey is back at Weymouth Pavilion to take care of our events! Whether you want to hire a room for a wedding, birthday party, conference, meeting or more, Julie will be here to guide you and make sure your event at Weymouth Pavilion is one to remember.
STEVI RITCHIE – Chester the Jester 
CHARLOTTE ALLEN – Princess Aurora
CHRIS CASSERLY – Dame
ELLENA BACON – Fairy Fortywinks
HARRIET BACON – Carabosse
TOMMY MCGOWAN – Prince
