insideKENT Magazine Issue 68 - November 2017 | Page 40

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
Orchard Theatre launches
CINDERELLA,
THIS YEAR’S FAIRY GODMOTHER OF ALL PANTOMIMES!
THE STARS OF THIS YEAR’S MUST-SEE ORCHARD THEATRE PANTOMIME
PROVED IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO PREPARE FOR THE ROYAL BALL BY GETTING
INTO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT BY LAUNCHING THIS YEAR’S SPELL-BINDING SHOW,
CINDERELLA, WHICH OPENS ON SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2017 STARRING
LOUIE SPENCE AND MICHELLE COLLINS.
Pineapple Dance Studios’ Louie Spence
(Dandini) and television star Michelle Collins
(The Wicked Stepmother) were joined by
Jayne Wisener (Cinderella) and Luke Kelly
(Prince Charming) at nearby Acacia Hall to
meet group bookers of this year’s pantomime
and bring some early festive season cheer to
proceedings.
Television personality, presenter and
choreographer Louie Spence pirouetted into
the nation’s consciousness thanks to the
overwhelming success of Sky One’s Pineapple
Dance Studios and Louie Spence’s
Showbusiness, solidifying Louie’s reputation
as an expert on all things dance. In addition
to his television experience Louie has enjoyed
an extensive stage career appearing in Miss
Saigon and Cats and danced alongside Take
That and the Spice Girls. Louie will play the
Prince’s loyal manservant, Dandini. No
stranger to pantomime, Cinderella marks his
eighth foray into the genre, bringing with
him the high kicks and high jinks he’s best
known for.
Michelle Collins made her television debut
alongside Gary Oldman in Morgan’s Boy
before going on to appear in numerous
primetime programmes including Real
Women, Sunburn, The Sleeper, Two Thousand
Acres of Skye, the Emmy and BAFTA award-
winning The Illustrated Mum and Doctor Who.
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Michelle also appeared in the feature films
Personal Services opposite Julie Walters,
Empire State and Stephen Poliakoff’s Hidden
City. Having been spotted on television by
BBC producers Michelle was asked to audition
for the popular soap EastEnders and won the
role of Cindy Beale, originally intended to
appear in just eleven episodes. Michelle’s
portrayal quickly proved popular with soap
executives and viewers alike and played the
role of the villainous, serial-adulterer for over
ten years, an integral character to numerous
high-profile storylines cementing her
reputation as one of the UK’s best-loved
actresses.
Jayne Wisener (Cinderella) made her
professional screen debut as Johanna opposite
Johnny Depp in the Tim Burton directed
musical adaptation of Sondheim’s Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street aged
just 19, which was seen by millions of
cinemagoers.
Following her graduation from the Scottish
Royal Academy of Music and Drama Jayne
went on to make her professional stage debut
in the highly acclaimed production of Parade
at the Donmar Warehouse in London’s West
End, starred as Lauren in Channel 4’s comedy
The Inbetweeners, appeared in The Secret
Garden at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and
in numerous pantomimes, including the role
of Cinderella in last year’s production staged
by Qdos Entertainment at the Grand Opera
House in Belfast.
Luke Kelly’s theatre credits include Darren in
I Went to a Fabulous Party, Scotty in Ten Steps
to Heaven, Prince Charming in Cinderella,
Ensemble and Cover Steven in She Loves Me,
Leading Male in Back To Broadway, Prince
Charming in Cinderella, Steve Edwards in
Babes In Arms, Baptista in Kiss Me, Kate,
Bobby/Rob Hood in Curtains and
Supernumerary in Whistle Down The Wind.
Luke reprises his role as Prince Charming
opposite Louie Spence having starred
alongside him in Cinderella at Wycombe Swan
in 2016.
Cinderella will be staged by Qdos
Entertainment, the world’s biggest pantomime
producer, and the company behind the
theatre’s previous record-breaking
productions of Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs and Dick Whittington. Cinderella
features the Orchard Theatre hallmark of
outstanding entertainment for theatregoers
of all ages.
www.orchardtheatre.co.uk