No napping for stars as Joe Pasquale keeps 'em guessing

Despite the weather, there's a sprinkling of fairy dust in the air at the moment as the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre launch their 2013 pantomime, Sleeping Beauty.

Presented by Qudos Entertainment, with a wave of a wand from December 7 to January 19, Sleeping Beauty is set to wake up the city.

Whilst it is hard to imagine Christmas time in June, as Adrian Lesurf, marketing manager for Qudos quipped: "It's Christmas every day in our office!"

There's no better addition to the family's festive period than the Grand Theatre pantomime and this year will be no exception, as they prepare to welcome an all star cast, including one of this country's best loved comedians and Dancing on Ice star, Joe Pasquale, the stunning actress Lucy Evans in the title role and the outrageously glamorous international cabaret star, Ceri Dupree.

Joe makes a welcome return to the Grand Theatre, following a highly successful run with Doctor in the House last summer, this time as the central comedy character in Sleeping Beauty, Muddles.

"One of the beauties of doing panto for me is that I can ad-lib a lot, and every single show is different because I do different stuff every day," said Joe.

"I enjoy playing with the audience and the characters on stage and seeing how far you can push the other actors to go with you. It's improvisation. With me you won't get the same thing twice, ever."

Every panto needs a smattering of feathers, frocks and fluttering eyelashes to enchant theatre goers and Ceri Dupree, as Queen Passionella, brings his (or her!) very own charm to the show, as well as an array of glamorous gowns, wonderful wigs and hideously high heels!

"The queen is lovely. She's very grand, she henpecks her husband, and she loves Muddles, her court jester," said Ceri.

And who doesn't? Joe Pasquale is a national treasure, who has delighted panto audiences up and down the country for more than 30 years.

But Queen Passionella is a dame with a difference, as her alter egos are all fabulous females including Shirley Bassey, Madonna, Cher and Tina Turner to name but a few.

"I do 17 costumes changes in this production," said Ceri. "I love it and by the third or fourth entrance, the audience have worked out that she is going to change every time she comes on and it gets bigger and bolder," he laughed.

It seems yuletide is just around the corner and as pantos go, this one's a beauty!.

Contact 01902 429212 or visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk for tickets.