Blackpool News / Theatres & Shows Winter Gardens Reveals Wicked Stepmother 15 April 2020 by Visit Blackpool The Winter Gardens Blackpool and Charming Pantomimes has announced CBeebies star Jennie Dale will play the wicked stepmother in ‘Cinderella’ Blackpool’s biggest ever family pantomime, this Christmas. CINDERELLA will play at the Opera House Blackpool from Sunday 13 December to Sunday 3 January 2021. A Buy one Get one free offer is also being offered on tickets from £29 on selected dates and performances* until 30th April 2020 for those wanting to take a loved one for a magical treat this Christmas! In addition, for every ticket sold during the offer period one free ticket will be donated to an NHS key worker via local NHS Trusts, for a special evening of entertainment to thank them for their hard work. Jennie, a What's On Stage Award nominated actress, currently plays Captain Captain in the hit CBeebies show Swashbuckle and in 2019 starred as the Witch in the televised CBeebies pantomime Hansel & Gretel, also shown in cinemas across the UK. Every Wednesday at 5.00pm a new magical cast member is be revealed as they read a bedtime story on the @BlackpoolPanto social media channels. Jennie will be selecting and reading her favourite story on Wednesday 15 April and be followed next week at the same time by another cast member. The story time kicked off last week with Shirley Ballas, champion ballroom dancer and head judge on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, who will play the Fairy Godmother. In the West End, Jennie has been seen in Elf (Dominion Theatre), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre), Sister Act (London Palladium), The Lord of the Rings (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre), Jerry Springer the Opera (Cambridge Theatre), Les Misérables (Palace Theatre), The Witches of Eastwick (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Scrooge (Dominion Theatre). Her numerous other credits include productions at Chichester Festival Theatre, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Hackney Empire, and Théatre du Châtalet. On television, Jennie has appeared in Victoria Wood's What Larks! and Midlife Christmas, Midsomer Murders, and The Tracey Ullman Show. All budding ‘Cinderellas’ can also still apply at the Blackpool Winter Gardens website by posting an online video submission to their own social media channels, and tagging in @BlackpoolPanto, which must clearly showcase their talents as a potential lead taking on the role of the character which is loved by so many the world over. The Opera House has enjoyed years of Christmas musicals, but not since the production of Dick Whittington in 1956, has a family pantomime played at the Winter Gardens. To celebrate the return of pantomime to the venue, each performance will have over 100 tickets priced at just £10 providing unbelievable value and the opportunity for all to experience theatre at Christmas time. CINDERELLA is written by Samuel Holmes (Club Tropicana, Curtains, Shrek, Monty Python Live), Directed and Choreographed by Nick Winston (Annie, Club Tropicana, Fame, Royal Variety Performance), Musical Supervision & Arrangements are by Charlie Ingles. CINDERELLA is produced by Charming Pantomimes in association with Winter Gardens Blackpool. Audiences can expect jaw dropping special effects, a fabulous fairy, stunning costumes, some very wicked ugly sisters and a toe-tapping soundtrack of hit songs that will have everyone singing along. So, polish your pumpkins, dust off your gowns and grab your glass slippers to find out if Cinderella will go to the ball. Will she find her Prince Charming or will the Ugly Sisters ruin the day? Buy one Ticket & Get one FREE - plus another ticket will be donated to NHS key workers! Buy one get one free from £29 tickets is available on performances from 13–20 December 2020 (excluding school performances) and 30 December – 03 January 2021. Once you have purchased your tickets, for every ticket bought, during the offer period, we will donate one free ticket to an NHS key worker via local NHS Trusts, for a special evening of entertainment to thank them for their hard work. To take advantage simply use code 'PANTO20' on included performances. Offer ends midnight on Thursday 30 April 2020.