As Dartford’s magical pantomime Aladdin opened this weekend, Orchard West has confirmed that due to illness Linda Robson will no longer be appearing in the show. But all is not lost… panto land is full of heroes, as boy band icon and stage star Antony Costa steps into the role of Councillor Costa to ensure that Aladdin still has his best chance to thwart the evil Sven Gali and win the heart of the beautiful princess Jasmine.
Antony, best known as a member of the chart-topping band Blue and most recently seen on Celebrity Masterchef, is no stranger to the spotlight. With theatre credits which include Rock of Ages (UK Tour); Save The Last Dance For Me (UK Tour); Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre); Boogie Nights (UK Tour) and Popstars The Musical (UK Tour) and more than a decade of appearing in pantomime, he’s the perfect fit to save the day and says: “They say in Pantoland, anything can happen and all of a sudden I’m Councillor of Dartfordia! I love panto so much and am so happy to help out and to join the amazing cast at Orchard West.
Panto is the best way to celebrate the festive season and I’m looking forward to seeing lots of families join in the fun!
Antony will be joined by hilarious comedian Rikki Jay, panto favourite Jason Marc-Williams, Britain’s Got Talent magician Mandy Muden, and seasoned panto performer Richard Foster-King. West End stars Cleve September and Anton Stephans will also appear, alongside musical theatre performer Ruby Mann and a talented ensemble.
Tal Rosen Theatre Director at Orchard West said “You can always expect the unexpected with live theatre so we are delighted Antony has been able to come in at the eleventh hour to make sure we put on a fantastic show which we know our audiences will love. He’s a true panto hero! We know everyone will join us in wishing Linda well and thank them for their understanding.
We look forward to spreading plenty of panto magic this Christmas and wish all our audiences a joyful and laughter-filled festive season.”
While Antony prepares, West End star and understudy Hollie Cassar will cover the role. Hollie will also perform the role on 18th, 20th, 23rd & 31st December.
Make memories with your family in a show jam-packed with all of the panto ingredients you know and love – expect a dastardly villain, a hapless comic, a hilarious panto dame, as well as fabulous musical numbers, bags of slapstick fun for everyone.