One of the stars of the hit movie The Greatest Showman is heading up the cast of Northampton’s Royal & Derngate’s Christmas panto, it has been revealed.
Tony Award-nominated star Keala Settle will be heading up the cast in this year’s Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.
For Keala’s first ever pantomime, she will be joined by Horrible Histories’ Richard David-Caine, with Alex Lodge returning as Jack, and the hilarious Bob Golding returning as Dame, Royal & Derngate has announced.
Vocal powerhouse Keala Settle will play the Fairy. Her performance of the anthemic This Is Me in the global blockbuster movie The Greatest Showman earned her critical acclaim, with the original soundtrack becoming 2018’s best-selling album worldwide.
The song won a Golden Globe in 2018 as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Having starred in many Broadway shows, including Waitress, Les Misérables and Hairspray, Keala recently joined the cast of the major new TV drama Murder in Provence, and made her West End debut in & Juliet, before joining the all-star cast of the new Sister Act revival.
Keala said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be appearing in my first ever pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, at Royal & Derngate in Northampton. Panto is such a beloved institution in this country and I have always wanted to be a part of one. It’s going to be an incredible experience and just what we need for this 2022 festive season… I can’t wait.”
Jo Gordon, Chief Executive at Royal & Derngate said: “We’re delighted to have Keala Settle joining our panto cast this year, and to be working with the same great team that made Dick Whittington such a success last year. Christmas is such a special time of year, when many children are introduced to theatre for the first time, and Jack and the Beanstalk promises to be one of our greatest pantomimes ever.”
Jack and the Beanstalk will run from Friday December 9, 2022 to Monday January 2, 2023. For more information and to book tickets, go to www.royalandderngate.co.uk or call Box Office on 01604 624811.
For Keala’s first ever pantomime, she will be joined by Horrible Histories’ Richard David-Caine, with Alex Lodge returning as Jack, and the hilarious Bob Golding returning as Dame, Royal & Derngate has announced.
5. Derngate panto cast announcement
Keala Settle perform with the Australian Girls Choir during a Hugh Jackman media announcement at the Museum of Contemporary Art on February 26, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Ryan Pierse
