ANNE HEGERTY AND PAUL BURLING TO STAR IN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST AT WYVERN THEATRE SWINDON

Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre and producers Imagine Theatre announce first casting for their 2022/2023 panto season as TV Personality and star of ITV’s The Chase Anne Hegerty joins Beauty and the Beast as Fairy Flutterby alongside comedy impressionist Paul Burling - from 03 Dec 2022 to 02 Jan 2023.

Anne Hegerty is best known as ‘The Governess’ on ITV’s multi-award-winning teatime game show The Chase and Channel 7’s The Chase Australia, as well as presenting Britain’s Brightest Family, also for ITV. In 2018 she was a contestant on the record-breaking series of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here! and has also appeared on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Loose Women, This Morning, Lorraine, and Celebrity Juice, not to mention being featured on a TV Times cover dressed as Britannia and pretending to be Alan Carr’s mother in aid of cancer research. Earlier this year Anne took part in ITV’1s DNA Journey and Cooking With The Stars.

Anne will be joined on stage in his 30th year of pantomime by Britain’s Got Talent finalist Paul Burling who caught the world’s attention in 2010 with his comedy impressions, reaching the final. Following this success Paul could be seen in his own TV show on ITV It's Paul Burling. Since then, he's appeared on many TV programmes, including Channel 4's The 5 O'Clock Show, CBBC's The Slammer, Dick & Dom’s Hoopla!, ITV2’s Britain’s Got More Talent and Channel 4s Whatever Happened to Harry Hill? He has also appeared in his first feature film as Harry Hill’s dad in The Harry Hill Movie. Paul still enjoys performing live across the UK and recently supported Joe Pasquale on his summer stand-up tour and with fellow BGT, The X Factor and The Voice stars, performing in theatres all over the UK in the ‘Talents of Britain’ tour.

Local pantomime favourite David Ashley will also be back on stage in his seventh panto at the Wyvern Theatre as Dame Fifi.

On taking the role of Fairy Flutterby in Beauty and the Beast Anne said “I love panto. Beauty and the Beast is a firm family favourite and I know all of the magical pantomime ingredients will be included for the best night out for the whole family, so, I am so pleased to be creating some of that magic as The Enchantress – I can’t wait to see you on the stage”

Beauty and the Beast marks the first partnership between Imagine Pantomimes on of the UK’s Biggest pantomime providers and Trafalgar Entertainment (TE) who operate Swindon Wyvern Theatre.

Laura James from the Wyvern Theatre said “we are delighted to be welcoming Anne and Paul to the Wyvern theatre this festive season. Our annual pantomime is a much-loved family tradition for our audiences, and we hope to see you all there for this, our first with Imagine who we know will bring the most exciting, magical family fun to us this year”

When an arrogant Prince is cursed to live as a beast his only hope of salvation is to find love before the last petal falls from a magic rose. When pretty village girl, Beauty comes into his life is this the chance he has been waiting for?

Beauty and the Beast will be sure to make you laugh, cry and fall in love with a host of hilarious and hairy characters - so book your tickets now and discover if Beauty can see beyond appearances and learn to love a beast!

Tickets are on sale now at swindontheatres.co.uk or visit imaginetheatre.co.uk