Dick Whittington - this year’s award winning spectacular family pantomime at The Bristol Hippodrome stars as Alice Fitzwarren and her dog will be Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey – who won rave reviews for their panto appearance in Manchester last year. Appearing alongside them will be Ben Faulks (aka Mr Bloom from CBeebies) as Dick Whittington, Bristol’s favourite Andy Ford as Idle Jack, panto dame extraordinaire Eric Potts as Sarah the Cook and X Factor’s Brenda Edwards as Fairy Bowbells.

The run will include the first ‘relaxed performance’ of panto at The Bristol Hippodrome on December 30 2014 at 2.00 pm. A relaxed performance is aimed at anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment including people with an autistic spectrum condition, sensory and communication disorders or a learning disability. There are likely to be some small changes to the show, in terms of lighting and sound cues, but the overall content of the show will not change. There’s also a more relaxed attitude to noise in the auditorium in order to reduce anxiety and ensure a safe enjoyable theatre visit. Bookers will be sent a visual story be invited to attend a familiarisation meeting in the theatre and there will be a designated ‘chill-out’ area for use during this performance.

Ashleigh and Pudsey, who were hailed by Simon Cowell as one of his ‘”favourite ever acts” made their pantomime debut to great acclaim in Woking in 2012 and starred in Manchester’s panto last Christmas. They will be reprising their roles of Alice Fitzwarren and her faithful pooch in Bristol, where they are set to delight audiences with their amazing routines and tricks.

BAFTA award nominee and Manchester Theatre Award winner Ben Faulks is best known for his role as Mr Bloom on the hit CBeebies show Mr Bloom’s Nursery, a hugely popular show that’s credited for helping to get a generation of youngsters interested in gardening.

Andy Ford has become a firm favourite with Hippodrome audiences and critics alike and is back by popular demand for his sixth consecutive panto here, following his hugely popular performance as Buttons in Cinderella in 2013.

Brenda Edwards last wowed Bristol audiences with her performance as the Killer Queen in the hit musical We Will Rock You. Brenda entered The X Factor in 2005 and was the last woman standing in the semi finals and left the audience and judges spellbound week after week.

Eric Potts – is one of Britain’s best loved panto dames, last appearing at the Hippodrome alongside Barbara Windsor in 2009. He is also known for playing baker Diggory Compton in Coronation Street and has also written the script for Dick Whittington.

This fantastic new production of Dick Whittington tells the rags to riches tale of a young man and his cat on an exciting quest for fame and fortune. Featuring all the traditional pantomime ingredients; sensational songs, a live band, dazzling dance routines, hilarious slapstick comedy and bags of audience participation, plus the magnificent sets and costumes The Bristol Hippodrome panto is famous for.

Dick Whittington

Saturday 6 December 2014 – Sunday 5 January 2015

The Bristol Hippodrome

Tickets: £10.00* to £39.50* (concessions available)

0844 871 3012*

www.atgtickets.com/bristol*

(*Subject to booking/transaction fee)

Groups/Schools hotline: 0844 871 3032 (No fees. Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm)

ACCESS FOR ALL: Service for patrons with a disability – 0117 302 3222 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm)