Get your deely boppers ready as Oxford Playhouse today announce the cast and creatives for its magical family pantomime Sleeping Beauty.

It may only be August, but preparations are already underway for the biggest and boldest Playhouse pantomime to date! Written and directed by Toby Hulse (Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk), Oxford Playhouse invites audiences to its iconic pantomime from Friday 22 November 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025, full of its own loveable (and downright boo-able) panto heroes and villains in a toe-tapping extravaganza with a generous sprinkling of 80s nostalgia.

This year, Oxford Playhouse welcomes a strong ensemble cast featuring Daisy Ann Fletcher as Ursula the Unsure, Elliott Wooster as Mark-O, Fintan Hayeck as John Rind, Lucy Frederick as Nelly the Nurse, Max Guest as Billy the Silly, Robin Hemmings as Walter the Wicked, Sophia Lewis as Princess Aurora the Awesome, Tats Nyazika as Roderick the Rigid, and Zoe Antoniou as Janice Short.

Sleeping Beauty is written and directed by Toby Hulse, who said:

“I am thrilled to be returning to the Oxford Playhouse pantomime for the third year running. I had a riot working on Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, and Sleeping Beauty this Christmas promises to be even more fun - a glorious mash up of traditional panto fun with everything you love about the 80s. I am already dusting off my deely boppers...”

Oxford Playhouse resident staff form much of this year’s creative team, including Immy Howard as Costume Designer, Ashley Bale as Producer, Will Hayman as Lighting Designer, Leah O’Grady as Production Assistant, and Tanya Jackson as Resident Company Stage Manager.

The Playhouse also welcomes Bronia Housman as Set Designer, Steve Allan Jones as Composer and Arranger, Chris Humphries as Sound Designer and Rae Piper as Choreographer.

Artistic Director of The Playhouse Mike Tweddle said:

“We are particularly excited for this year’s Playhouse panto. Toby has written a truly magical script, which will be delivered by a creative team made up of many of our staff team. The set is being entirely constructed in our workshop for the first time, and costumes are being designed by our Head of Wardrobe. Working in this way has created a real buzz within the building and we eagerly look forward to presenting a pantomime that feels more our own than ever before.”

Panto favourite Robin Hemmings returns as yet another boo-able baddie, Walter the Wicked, after thrilling panto audiences as Hendrix the Horrible in Jack and the Beanstalk.Max Guest, who played Jack in last year’s production, also returns as another charming clown, Billy the Silly, desperate to prove his worth, but not really sure how to do it.

The Playhouse is delighted to welcome Tats Nyazika to the Oxford stage as Roderick the Rigid, whose manners are as stiff as his apron. Tats trained with Stagecoach Oxford, Musical Youth Company Oxford and attended Abingdon and Witney College.

Princess Aurora the Awesome will be played by Sophia Lewis, the heir to the throne of Oxland, about to turn eighteen but her dearest wish is to become a fashion designer. Lucy Frederick joins the cast as this year’s panto Dame. Glamorous and well-matured, she raised Princess Aurora from birth and now runs the Palace School.

Ready to impress audiences with a ready supply of 80s song lyrics, Elliott Wooster will play Mark-O, Princess Aurora’s invisible fairy guide.

The pantomime’s ensemble is composed of Zoe Antoniou as Janice Short and Fintan Hayeck as John Rind – two old-skool DJs. They will lead a cohort of Oxford Playhouse Young Company members, who will perform alongside the Adult Company as Oxland’s Premiere Dance Company.

The Sleeping Beauty band includes Musical Director Bartosz Theide, Georgia Ayew and Lucy Gowen, who all return after their sparkling success in last year’s pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.

Combining the magic of panto and the high energy of an 80s school disco, the spellbinding Sleeping Beauty will tell the unexpected story of a teenage princess who pricks her finger on a spindle and… time travels across 1000 years.

Our Aurora must summon all of her fairy-given gifts - true friendship, intelligence, bravery and a good night’s sleep (along with a teddy bear and a mysterious 1985 Smash Hits Yearbook) to put things right and regain her rightful place in the kingdom of Oxland.

Sleeping Beauty will have various accessible performances throughout the run, including Audio Described performances (Sat 30 Nov at 4pm and Sat 4 Jan at 2pm), Relaxed performances (Thu 5 Dec at 6pm and Fri 3 Jan at 3pm), BSL Signed performances (Fri 6 Dec at 10am and Thu 12 Dec at 6pm), a Captioned performance (Fri 20 Dec at 3pm), and a Dementia Friendly performance (Thu 2 Jan at 11am).

A magical and festive experience perfect for all the family - never mind goodnight, this is sure to be the BEST night. Tickets for Sleeping Beauty at Oxford Playhouse start from £15, with some performances close to selling out! Friends and Patrons of Oxford Playhouse receive 25% off tickets to select performances.