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Another egg-stra special cast announcement!…

We are egg-static to announce that comedian and Britain’s Got Talent Finalist Steve Royle will be alongside Steps star Lee Latchford-Evans in our cracking Easter Pantomime BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!

Our spellbinding pantomime for Easter 2024 tells the story of Belle, who longs for romance and adventure, a bad-mannered Prince who is transformed into a Beast to teach him a lesson and a good Fairy who makes both their dreams come true.

Join us during the Easter school holidays for a show filled with spectacular pantomime magic, dazzling production numbers and of course jokes galore for all the family!

About Steve Royle – Comedian

Steve Royle is a comedian, actor, radio presenter and variety star combining stand-up comedy, madcap antics and juggling. In 2020 Steve came third on Britain’s Got Talent performing to the 4 judges, a live virtual audience of 500 and over 12 million people nationwide watching on TV. He received glowing accolades from audiences and judges alike:

“You’re naturally funny, end-of-the-pier British which is what I like.” Simon Cowell

 “I adored this act, it felt fresh and it felt polished.” Amanda Holden

“One of the funniest performances I’ve seen. I was totally wowed “ David Walliams

 “The act that reduced me to tears of joy and sadness and everything and had me in hysterics is you, Steve, I just love you “ Alesha Dixon

 “It absolutely killed me. It was an incredible act, I really, really enjoyed it “ Ashley Banjo

He followed this up with a 2021 UK tour and appearances on both “Crackerjack” for CBBC and a “Britain’s got Talent” Christmas Day special.

His comedy skills have taken him all over the world performing on Cruises ships, in hotels and comedy clubs throughout the UK and abroad.

In 2015 he performed 16 nights at The Manchester Arena as part of the “Phoenix Nights Live” show, helping raise well over £ 5 million in the process for Comic Relief. He also appeared at the London Palladium twice within a month later that year when he performed as part of the TV show “Sunday Night at The Palladium” and as warm-up for “One Night With Neil Diamond”.

Steve is also a “Gillard award” winning presenter on BBC Radio Lancashire and a veteran of 25 pantomimes. Most recently completing his 20th consecutive pantomime at The Grand Theatre, Blackpool involving over 1000 performances. . In 2016 he was made an honourary member of The Friends of The Grand for his services to the theatre.

In 2019 he starred, to critical acclaim, in the World premier tour of “Naturally Insane: The Life of Dan Leno” and performed the play in the West End (Criterion Theatre) November 2021.

Steve spent many years supporting the likes of Peter Kay, Dave Spikey, and The Lancashire Hotpots on tour. He is a regular television ‘warm-up’ for programs such as “The Rob Brydon Show”, “A Question Of Sport” and “Friday Night Wind-up with Sam and Mark”.

Steve’s first love, however, is Stand-Up and it is a job that has taken him all over the world: Cruises in the Med, Norwegian Fjords and the Caribbean, hotels and comedy clubs in Hong Kong, Dubai, Crete, Cyprus, Turkey and Japan.

He is a regular headline act at The Comedy Store and other “alternative” venues and has several television appearances to his credit. Most recently he played “Jim” Peter kay’s mate in “Car Share”, and previous to this appeared in “Phoenix Nights”, “Max And Paddy’s Road To Nowhere”, “Peter Kay’s Britain’s Got The Pop Factor…”, “Stand-up Britain”, “Give Your Mate A Break”, “The Afternoon Show”, “Talk Of The North”, a “Real Radio” advert, straight acting roles in “The Things You Do For Love” and “Magnolia”, and despite being one of the North West’s healthiest males, a medical insurance commercial for “Medicash”. He was also featured on the Granada Programme “Behind The Scenes” and “That’s Entertainment” (with Cannon and Ball) and was voted “Entertainer of the Year” at the inaugural Red Rose Awards.

For over 12 years Steve could be found in the guise of “Mad Edgar” the court jester at Camelot theme park where he presented over 2000 “Crazy Juggling Shows”.

Steve is also co-founder of the “Slaughterhouse-Live” (“Laughter” with an “S”) character comedy nights. They have taken the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by storm with sell out shows and rave reviews. They won the “Best Comedy Show” award at The Brighton Fringe Festival and were runners-up in the “best touring show” category at the Manchester Comedy Awards
“A Brilliant Comedian.” Peter Kay (in his autobiography “Saturday Night Peter”)

“Fantastic…should be a star!” Dave Spikey (in his autobiography “Under the Microscope”)

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Egg-citing Cast Announcement!

Lee from StepsWe’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.