WELCOME

After a rollercoaster of a year, I'm delighted that we can help bring some festive theatre magic to you – through your screens – by welcoming you to Damian’s Pop Up Panto! Working with our long-time producing partners, the brilliant Evolution Pantomimes, we can promise a fun-flled show for the whole family with plenty of sparkle and laughs.

We are so excited to share this joyful experience with you, and who better to lead our fabulous cast than Sheffeld legend, Damian Williams? This is Damian’s thirteenth year as Sheffeld’s dame and while things might look a bit different this time around, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without him!

The panto forms part of our Together Season, which continues into 2021 and includes The Band Plays On, celebrating Sheffeld's history through the iconic music of the city, followed by a series of shows from local artists with the Open Submissions programme. We're also looking forward to a host of fantastic shows in the Lyceum including Dinosaur World, Waitress, Chicago and My Best Friend's Wedding.

Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to the whole team behind this show and especially my colleagues at Sheffeld Theatres who have worked tirelessly throughout this year with grit and good humour in the face of huge challenges.

I hope this performance brings some much-needed- sparkle to the end of 2020. We can't wait to welcome you back In 2021.

Sheffeld Theatres Crucible Trust is a registered Charity No. 1120640 and is a company limited by guarantee No. 6035820 THE CAST Damian Williams Dame Dolly

For Sheffeld Theatres: Damian is now in his thirteenth year as Sheffeld’s Dame, the city he now considers his second home.

Theatre credits include: Benidorm Live! (UK Tour); Hairspray (Leicester Curve, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur Tour); South Pacifc; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Being Tommy Cooper; My Dog’s Got No Nose; Run for Your Wife; Cash on Delivery; Funny Money; Tom Dick & Harry; It Runs in the Family; Not Now Darling; There Goes the Bride; Out of Order; Caught in the Net; Dry Rot; See How they Run; Don’t Dress for Dinner and The Ladykillers.

Television credits include: Andy and the Band (CBBC); Damian’s Are You Smarter Than Your 10 Year Old? (Sky 1); Birds of a Feather; Billy Webb; Alfonzo Bonzo; The Bill; Spatz and Exam Conditions.

Film credits include: The Last Laugh (Best Actor award – Southampton Film Festival).

Damian lives in Southend with his wife Barbie. They are proud parents of twins, Joshua and Esme, undoubtedly Damian’s fnest productions to date!

Lucas Rush Von Badapple

Theatre credits include: Evita (China Tour); Rock Of Ages (UK Tour); Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK Tour – also Resident Director); Christmas Wonderland (USA Tour); American Idiot (West End and UK Tour - also Resident Director); Cabaret (Arts Theatre, Aberdeen); Jesus Christ Superstar (World Arena Tour and Universal Pictures); Saturday Night Fever (RCCL and USA); Grease (Piccadilly Theatre, West End); We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre, West End); Fame (UK Tour); Much Ado About Nothing (Italian Theatre Tour); Blood Brothers (The Manoel Theatre Malta); The Merry Wives Of Windsor (Royal Shakespeare Company at Barbican Theatre) and Les Miserables (Palace Theatre).

TV credits include: Walking on the Moon (ITV Film) and The Defnition Of Lonely. Gemma Suton Jill

For Sheffeld Theatres: Dick Whittington; Peter Pan; Jack and the Beanstalk. Theatre credits include: Girl From The North Country (Gielgud Theatre, West End/Toronto); Blues in the Night (Kiln Theatre); Follies (National Theatre); Sweet Charity (The Watermill Theatre); The Rink (Southwark Playhouse); A Christmas Carol the Musical (London Musical Theatre Orchestra); Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto); The Go Between (Apollo Theatre, West End); Gypsy (Chichester Festival Theatre/Savoy Theatre, West End); Carousel (Arcola Theatre); Chicago (Curve, Leicester); Drunk (Curve, Leicester/ The Bridewell); Hairspray (UK tour); Me and My Girl (Kilworth House); Legally Blonde – The Musical (Savoy Theatre, West End); Gone with the Wind (New London Theatre, West End); Imagine This (New London Theatre, West End); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Lady Be Good, The Boy Friend (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Children Will Listen (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End).

Pantomime credits include: Aladdin (Hackney Empire); Peter Pan (Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury) and Jack and the Beanstalk (Fairfeld Halls, Croydon).

Television credits include: West Side Stories (BBC); Gypsy: Live at the Savoy Theatre (Universal); Doctors (BBC) and Cilla (ITV).

Concerts include: The Music of James Bond (The Barbican); Songs Under the Stars (Betley Court Farm); recordings for Grant Olding, Theo Jamieson and Jennifer Whyte. Deborah Tracey Fairy Moonshot

For Sheffeld Theatres: Standing At The Sky's Edge

Acting theatre credits include: Dogwalker (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Unlocked Festival (Notingham Playhouse); United Queendom (Les Enfants Terribles); A Mad World My Masters (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Last Women (Belgrade) and Alice’s Adventures Underground (Les Enfants Terribles).

As Writer, Performer and Co-Producer, theatre credits include: Death of a Beauty Saleswoman and Fades and Braids and Keeping it Real.

Television and flm work includes: American Monster (Arrow Media for Discovery); Doctors (BBC); Obsessions (Discovery ID); Fee Fi Fo...Yum (BBC); Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (Fox Searchlight) and Patient Zero (Sony Pictures).

Deb is uterly thrilled to be part of some much needed sparkle this Christmas and looks forward to spreading her magical fairy dust all over Sheffeld!

Joe Tracini Billy

TV credits include: The Dengineers (CBBC – BAFTA award); Hollyoaks (Channel 4); My Spy Family (Boomerang); Coming of Age (BBC Three); Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (BBC Three); The Great Outdoors (BBC Four); Inn Mates (BBC Three); Bewitched (BBC) and The Keith Lemon Sketch Show (ITV2).

Joe wrote and starred in his own sketch show for BBC iPlayer, and is a British Champion magician.

He’s probably best known nowadays for dancing around the garden like an idiot and talking about his broken brain: using Twiter as a platform, his videos have been watched by over 40 million people. His dances are choreographed by Holly Houseman. CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES Paul Hendy Writer, Director and Producer

Paul is a scriptwriter, director and producer.

Paul wrote, directed and produced the short flm, The Last Laugh. The flm has been a huge success at major flm festivals around the world winning several awards including Best Comedy Drama at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Award of Excellence at the Global Film Festival (San Diego) and Best Film at the Manchester Film Festival.

On television, Paul hosted shows such as The Disney Club, Don’t Try This At Home with Davina McCall and Wheel of Fortune (which had been running for twenty-three years until Paul hosted one series and they cancelled it!). He also hosted the BAFTA nominated Dear Mr Barker and the cult classic Stash the Cash (‘cult’ meaning it was rubbish but students liked it!).

His novels Diary Of A C-List Celeb (in no way autobiographical… honest!) and Who Killed Simon Peters? were published by Transworld in 2004 and 2009. They received great critical acclaim and were subsequently translated into Russian and Greek (true!). The novels can currently be found in the bargain bins of most reputable bookshops.

Paul directed and produced a UK Tour of Mister Maker and The Shapes Live! He also directed and produced a UK Tour of Morecambe. Paul has the screen rights for Morecambe and is currently developing a flm called Bring Me Sunshine about the life story of his comedy heroes, Morecambe and Wise… watch this space!

Along with his wife, Emily Wood, Paul started Evolution Productions in 2005 and have built a reputation for superior, bespoke pantomimes with the emphasis on high quality production values, strong casting and genuinely funny scripts. Paul is delighted to have won ‘Pantomime of the Year’ in 2017 (Dick Whittington, Marlowe Theatre); 2018 (Mother Goose, Sheffeld Lyceum); and 2020 (Cinderella, Sheffeld Lyceum).

This is Paul’s ffeenth year of writing, directing and producing pantomimes, and he is thrilled to be working with Sheffeld Theatres. He is incredibly proud of the reputation they have built for being one of the biggest and best pantomimes in the country. Afer such a challenging year, Paul is determined to help Damian and the gang save pantomime and spread some much-needed cheer around Sheffeld. He hopes you enjoy it! James Harrison Musical Director

James has worked professionally since the age of 15, and now at 27, is in high demand producing music for major production companies all around the world, including The West End.

As a pianist he regularly works with many of the country’s top musicians, performing in some of the UK's most prestigious venues. As musical director he's worked with a wide range of star names, from various Britain's Got Talent winners such as Ashleigh and Pudsey, to flm and Broadway star, Samantha Barks, to household names such as Phillip Schofeld, who James worked with on the UK touring concert The Knights Of Music, welcoming Phillip back to the stage singing afer his 15-year hiatus!

James' unique energy and entertaining approach to music making has taken him abroad, performing on islands in Venice to engagements in Ibiza with his own creation Cue Music UK. As a bit of a keen actor also, in 2020 he helped to create the role of ‘Mister Music Maker’ performing with CBeebies' ‘Mister Maker’ on his UK touring show.

Away from the stage, other projects include working with Touker Suleyman from BBC's Dragons' Den, composing and producing the music for a new global brand. Of course, not forgeting about his love for panto, James also musically supervises 12 pantomimes around the country. He also produced the music for ITV's "This Morning Panto" this year. Having had a passion for theatre from a young age, James also runs a successful music production company, specialising in bespoke creations.

James is delighted to be back in Sheffeld this year collaborating with Evolution Productions doing exactly what he loves, whilst helping to bring a bit of magic, music and joy to South Yorkshire afer a very bizarre 2020! Simon Hardwick Choreographer

Simon is originally from West Yorkshire and trained at Performers College, Essex.

As Director and Choreographer: Legally Blonde, Side Show and 9 to 5 (Bird College).

As Choreographer: Groundhog Day (Helsinki City Theatre); Lin Manuel-Miranda’s 21 Chump Street (The Courtyard); Guys & Dolls, Rent, Brass (Mountview); Dick Whittington, Aladdin (Hawth, Crawley) and Tring Park’s Encore Dance Company 2019, 2020.

As Associate Choreographer: Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (The Barbican, Regents Park Open Air Theatre & Lyric Opera, Chicago); The Lorax (The Old Vic) and Drunk (Bridewell).

As Associate Director: Jekyll and Hyde (The Old Vic).

As a performer: Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre); Chicago (Curve, Leicester); A Chorus Line (London Palladium); Wicked (Victoria Palace); Grease (Piccadilly Theatre); The Who’s Tommy (English Theatre, Frankfurt); High School Musical (Hammersmith Apollo); Footloose (UK Tour); Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida (Colosseum Theater, Essen).

Workshops include: King Kong (The Broadway Theatre); Company (Gielgud & Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre). Gary Longfeld Lighting Designer

Gary trained in Theatre Design at Breton Hall College and is currently Sheffeld Theatres’ Head of Stage, Sound and Lighting, where he works on most Sheffeld Theatres productions.

For Sheffeld Theatres, credits include: My Mother Said I Never Should; Songs From The Seven Hills; What We Wished For; A Dream; Camelot; The Shefeld Mysteries; 20 Tiny Plays about Shefeld; Leaner Faster Stronger; Mother Goose; Dick Whittington; Jack and The Beanstalk; Cinderella; Sleeping Beauty; Lives in Art; Peter Pan; Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs; Aladdin; The Beauty Inspector; There’s Only One Wayne Mathews; Confessions of a City; The Ugly Duckling; Topdog/Underdog; Handful of Henna; Warrior Square; Eyecatcher; The Jazz Conductor; Energise! and Falling; Paradise; The Good Person of Szechwan; The Pilgrimage; Not Exactly An Angel; The Sound Collector; The Minataur and Leopard.

Other designs at Sheffeld Theatres include: Die Fledermaus; Guys and Dolls; The Full Monty; West Side Story; The Sound Of Music; A Christmas Carol; Beauty and the Beast; Acorn Antiques; Our House; Grease; White Christmas; Sister Act; Legally Blonde; Into The Woods; Made In Dagenham; Priscilla Queen Of The Desert; My Fair Lady; Seven Brides For Seven Brothers; Gypsy; Cats! and Shrek.

Re-lights for Sheffeld Theatres, credits include: This Is My Family (Tour); One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show (Bristol); The Caretaker (Tour); Elephant Man (Tour); A Number (Chichester Festival Theatre) and As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Other theatre credits include: La Cage aux Folles (National Tour); Rivers Up! and Dancing in My Dreams (Oxfordshire Theatre Company).

Nick Greenhill Sound Designer

Nick is currently Sheffeld Theatres’ Senior Deputy Head of Sound, where he works on the majority of Sheffeld Theatres Productions.

For Sheffeld Theatres, credits include: Songs From The Seven Hills; The Nap; Blasted; This Is My Family; The Shefeld Mysteries; Wonderful Tennessee; This Is My Family (UK Tour); World Music; The Modernists; Bird Calls; A Chorus Line; Piaf; Fen; Far Away; Cloud Nine; Ain’t Misbehavin’, Blue/Orange (also National Tour); A Number (also Minerva Theatre, Chichester); Girl in the Goldfsh Bowl; The Comedy of Errors; Gladiator Games; Promises Promises; Assassins; Fiddler on the Roof; Desire Under The Elms; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Rutherford and Son, and eleven pantomimes at the Lyceum Theatre.

Other credits include: Bouncers, Perfect Pitch (Derby Theatre); Speaking in Tongues (Derby Theatre/Hampstead Theatre); God and Stephen Hawking (National Tour); Passing Places (also Greenwich Theatre); Lady Day at Emmerson’s Bar and Grill (National Tour); The Blue Room, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The School for Scandal (Northampton Theatre Royal); Great Expectations (also Walnut St Theatre); Philadelphia, Misconceptions (Salisbury Playhouse); The Browning Version, Way Upstream, Catwalk (Nitro Theatre Company); Goblins Don’t Scare Us, The House That Nat Built (The New End Theatre, Hampstead) and When Five Years Pass (Arcola Theatre). Emily Wood Producer

Emily read French and Italian literature at Oxford University and subsequently worked as a Production Manager making high-end cinema commercials. During this period she worked with esteemed British flm director, Jonathan Glazer, on projects for Stella Artois, Levis and the famous Guinness ads, as well as his flm Birth starring Nicole Kidman.

However, live theatre was always Emily’s passion and producing pantomimes was perhaps a predestined fate for Emily; her Great- grandfather toured Variety and Pierrot shows all over the country during the early 1900s, and her parents are a theatrical producer and designer.

In 2005 she began Evolution Productions with her husband, Paul Hendy, and now Emily produces eight pantomimes all over the country as well as hiring sets and costumes to another six theatres.

Emily juggles the huge demands of the business with having a young family. Her three children, Freddie, Poppy and Jago are proud owners of the Guinness World Record for the most pantomimes watched in one year! PRODUCTION CREDITS Production Manager Stephanie Balmforth Company Manager (Book cover) Andrew Wilcox Stage Manager Sarah Gentle Assistant Stage Manager Rosalind Chappelle

Lighting Designer Gary Longfeld Lighting Operator Chris Brown

Sound Designer Nick Greenhill Sound Operator Chris Ellis

Costume Supervisor Amy Chamberlain Dressers Debbie Gamble, Abi Netleship, Sally Wilson and Val Atkinson

Captioner Cara Lawless BSL interpreter Sara Cox

Filmed by Pilot Theatre

PRODUCTION THANKS Limelight Presentation Systems, Stage Sound Services, Sheffeld Theatres Workshop. EVOLUTION PRODUCTIONS

Emily Wood and Paul Hendy started Evolution Productions in 2005 Producers Emily Wood and Paul Hendy and have built a reputation for superior, bespoke pantomimes with Production Supervisor Tom Murray Finance Manager Dannii Hollet the emphasis on high quality production values, strong casting and Accountant Tim Spencer Associate Producer (Maternity Leave) genuinely funny scripts. Kate Roddy They are extremely proud that in a Daily Mail report on the ‘Top Ten Technical Director Stuart Relph Wardrobe & Prop Supervisor Amy Pantomimes in the Country’, three of the shows were produced by Chamberlain Evolution. They were also delighted to win ‘Pantomime of the Year’ in Set Designer & Senior Scenic Artist Michelle Marden 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2019/20 at the Great British Pantomime Awards Set & Costume Consultant Helga Wood (for Dick Whittington at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Mother Deputy Wardrobe Supervisor Ella Neal Goose at the Lyceum, Sheffeld; and Cinderella also at the Lyceum Principal Costume Maker Anna Harper respectively). Costume Maker & Milliner Sue Cook

Production Management Stuart Relph Over the last ffeen years they have worked in some of the best theatres in the country. This Christmas, they are producing socially Workshop Carpenters Jes Baines, Marsh, Jason Williams, Leo Liles distanced pantomimes at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, the Hawth Theatre in Crawley, the Lichfeld Garrick, the Crucible Theatre Glitter Technician Marsh in Sheffeld, The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil and The Assembly Hall Store Master Marsh Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. They also hire sets to six other Load Master Jason Williams pantomimes across the UK. Store Crew Gary Judd, Andrew Tye, Aaron Power, Simon Renolds, Shane Emily and Paul pride themselves on casting some of the country’s Adler, Tommo Bailey most talented performers, among them: Stephen Mulhern, Emma Additional Store Crew supplied by AP Barton, Jake Wood, Rita Simons, Scot Maslen, Sam Womack, Ade Crew Edmondson, Nigel Havers, Gareth Gates, Steve McFadden, Larry Grumpy Teenager Freddie Hendy Apprentice Diva Poppy Sunshine Hendy Lamb, Charlie Brooks, Shaun Williamson, Wendi Peters, Jake Canuso Comedy Consultant Jago Hendy (Benidorm), Mat Baker, George Takei (Star Trek), Toyah Willcox, John Partridge, Sheila Ferguson (Three Degrees), Phil Daniels Special Thanks to (Quadrophenia), Joe Swash, Rachel Stevens, Ian ‘H’ Watkins (Steps), Mimics Productions, East Kent Timber, Phil Gallagher, Sid Sloane, Andy Day, Cat Sandion, Rebecca Keatley, Volund Timber, Mike Coltman Construction, Amazing Backdrops. Katrina Bryan (all CBeebies), AJ Pritchard, Joanne Clifon (BBC’s Strictly) and Vanilla Ice (… yes, Vanilla Ice!!).

In 2014 Evolution brought a brand new production of the Olivier Award-winning West End play, Morecambe to theatres all over the country. It received rave reviews and was a huge critical success. In 2015 Evolution worked with the children’s author, Rod Campbell @pantomimes taking a stage version of his book Dear Santa to theatres across the UK as well having an International Debut in Singapore! They @pantomimes also began their three-year tour of Mister Maker and The Shapes

Live! By 2017 the show had visited over a hundred UK theatres and @evolutionpantomimes received fantastic reviews!

They are also working on the exciting project Bring Me Sunshine (a evolution-productions.co.uk flm penned by BAFTA and Olivier award-winning writer, Tim Whitnall and directed by Paul Hendy). The feature-length biopic of Eric Morecambe is in development… watch this space!

Paul and Emily are thrilled to be producing Damian’s Pop Up Panto alongside Sheffeld Theatres, here at The Crucible! They hope you enjoy watching the show as much as they’ve enjoyed producing it!