Theatre Interview: Lucy-Jo Hudson - "Snow White Is Going To Be A Lot Of Fun"

Written By: Mark Armstrong

HI-HO! Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs is coming to St. Helens Theatre Royal this Christmas, where a combination of hilarious jokes, classic songs, eye-catching dance moves and colourful costumes, along with one of the most familiar stories ever told, all come together for one fantastic pantomime experience. Plus, Johnny Vegas will star as The Magic Mirror, one who is not afraid to speak the truth! Also appearing in the role of Snow White will be Lucy-Jo Hudson, who has built quite the career in acting, dancing and singing, from the cobbles of Coronation Street to the wildlife of South Africa! We spoke to Lucy-Jo about her forthcoming appearance in Snow White, as well as her career highlights so far and her future ambitions. We also ask Lucy-Jo: what's the worst Christmas present that you've ever had?

First of all, tell us about your role in Snow White.

So, I play Snow White, and having read the script, I've noticed that Snow White has got a bit of banter about her. It's really funny, and she tries herself to be funny but she's not. She's also got her best friend Muddles, and they're really cute together. Obviously, Snow White also meets the Seven Dwarfs, she leaves the Kingdom because her step-mum is trying to kill her. When you think about it, it is a dark storyline, but the show is very light, with it being a panto. Then she meets the Prince and falls in love, and they live happily ever after!

Have you always been a fan of pantomime?

Yeah, I used to go and see pantos when I was a kid, and I would sometimes be one of the dancers when I was a toddler. And after I left Corrie I did Cinderella, which was the first proper panto that I did at the Lowry Theatre. I've not done anything in panto since then so I'm a bit nervous about getting into singing and full-on dancing again, but it'll be good fun, and everybody seems to love panto, so I'm excited.

I understand you have a fair amount of theatre experience yourself?

Yeah, I used to perform in theatre before I got into acting. I was mainly a dancer in theatre, so I did the dancing, a little bit of singing, and then it was straight onto acting. My career sort of changed once I got onto telly quite quickly.

You really made your name as Katy Harris on Coronation Street. What were the highlights of your time on the soap, and were there any scenes or storylines which you found difficult to perform?

It was so long ago now! The most difficult storyline was actually the one which led to me leaving, when Katy had to kill her dad and then she overdosed on sugar because she was diabetic, which led to her going into a coma, and then she passed away. They were pretty dark scenes, and they took quite a toll on me personally. I was crying 24/7 on set, so it's hard to leave that at work, and you end up taking it home. So, towards the end of my career at Corrie, I think that was the hardest bit, just because it was quite a heavy storyline for me. It was brilliant, amazing and challenging, so I did love it, but I was sort of ready for it to end as well. I loved my time there, though: my mates are still there, I met my hubby (Alan Halsall) when doing Corrie and he's still there. So, I still have a lot of love for Corrie; it's like family.

From there, you moved onto Wild At Heart, where you became a regular character as Rosie Trevanion. Are there any interesting stories you can tell from filming in South Africa?

Oh, there's so many! The animals never played ball. We'd be waiting for an hour for an elephant to turn up, and then it would decide that it didn't want to and it'd storm off set, so we'd be like "Okay, we're not doing that scene!" Giraffes would fall into the water, and this one day we had to finish by helping to dig this giraffe out of a pool that it had fallen into. Lions were escaping on-set (laughs) ... it was chaos! It looked magical and really easy on telly, but it was one of the hardest jobs that I've done, because the heat was intense, but we had to work around the animals, and they just didn't want to be on-set a lot of the time! So, it was brilliant, and it was amazing to be working up close and personal with the animals, but if they didn't want to do it, they'd let you know about it!

Earlier this year, you appeared on Dance Dance Dance, where you finished 2nd. How was that experience?

It was amazing! Harder than I thought; I thought I'd get in there and be like "Yeah, I can do it!" Oh my God, I was dying; by the end of the first week, I was done! I genuinely loved that; I started off in dancing, and I still have a passion for dance, even though I hadn't done it for over 18 years. So I wanted to do it. I had to push myself to some limits, but I really, really enjoyed it. That also got me back in panto, because being on stage made me want to do panto.

What are your future ambitions within your career?

I've just filmed a BBC drama which is out next spring with Robson Green. So, that opened a door for me getting into dramas that are quite serious, which I really want to do more of, things like the short six-parters. So, I loved that and I'd like that to continue.

Of course, this panto will be taking place over the run-up to Christmas. Can you tell us what the worst Christmas present is that you've ever received?

I can't wait for Christmas; if I could have my Christmas tree up all year round, then it would be up all year round. I love the lights, I love the songs; I love everything about Christmas! So, panto is perfect for me. As for my worst Christmas present ... I think I got a bangle from one of the markets, and it ended up going green after like one day. That was from an in-law, I won't say who, and I obviously don't have that anymore! (Laughs)

Finally, why should the St. Helens audience come to see Snow White?

For a start, it's got Johnny Vegas in it as the Magic Mirror. The cast are lovely, the script is very funny, and St. Helens Theatre Royal is a very intimate theatre, so you're gonna feel like you're a part of it. The songs are mega for all the kids, and it's gonna be a lot of fun. So, I think it will be magical, and it's the lead-up to Christmas where you'll want to see a panto, so you must come down!

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs runs at St. Helens Theatre Royal from Saturday December 2 to Sunday January 7 2018. To book your tickets, click here.

Snow White

Image Source: Mark McNulty

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: December 13 2016
Location: Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England

There have been many memorable and completely different shows at the Empire this year, such as Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Annie, The Bodyguard, Chicago, Blood Brothers, Cats and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, there is only one way that you could end a year at any theatre, especially the Empire, and that is with the annual, star-studded Christmas pantomime.

The show this year is Snow White, and Jorgie Porter leads a cast of stand-out names by playing Snow White. Leanne Campbell plays Queen Morgiana in her fourth consecutive panto appearance at the Empire, Liam Mellor reprises his role of Muddles, Colin Connor acts as Herman The Henchman, Stephen Fletcher is Prince Brian Of Birkenhead, and Pete Price makes a cameo as the face and voice of the Magic Mirror. Oh, and as the title of the show would have you expect, there are appearances by the Seven Dwarves.

The story goes that Queen Morgiana is fearful of Snow White growing up and becoming prettier than her. Her worst fears come true upon Snow White's 18th birthday, at which point Prince Brian turns up and falls in love with the princess. Cue methods of nastiness by Morgiana, some via her fearful yet reluctant henchman Herman, and when it seems like there is no solution to Snow White's woes, her friends - both old and new, and both large and small - provide as much assistance as they can as she strives to maintain her love for the Prince. But with the wicked Morgiana aiming to remove her from the picture so that she can receive an ego-boost for her looks and enhance her own financial security via the Prince's riches, can Snow White succeed?

The costumes for the main characters are excellent; it's odd to see Snow White with blonde hair, but it actually adds something different to this particular version of the show, and in actual fact some may find the blonde-haired Snow White look to be better. The sets are also very good; it's clear that a lot of work has gone into making the settings look as faithful to the story as possible, especially for the home of the Seven Dwarves, which comes complete with miniature chairs and tables. And there are several songs for the audience to join in with, both from the original show and in the form of modern hits or festive tunes, particularly a localised and humorous version of Twelve Days Of Christmas.

As for the performances: all of the cast do a good job, but I was particularly impressed with Colin Connor as Herman The Henchman. His role is a secondary one, but the mix of an Irish accent and a down-to-earth explanation of certain events on stage made for an amusing combination, which along with some strong material, good ad-libbing and suitably-OTT delivery and mannerisms made him a treat to watch, and to me he ended up being the performer who I most remembered when all was said and done. That being said, everyone brings their A-game to the show, and once can easily immerse themselves in the experience due to the believable performances by all. And the jokes, whilst occasionally hit-and-miss, resonated with both children and adults, meaning that the whole family could laugh along with the show.

What helped to make this show seem special was the addition of minor touches: attendees were given treats as they entered, and on sale (from a custom-built store, no less) were a variety of colourful toys for the kids to enjoy and for them to use to join in with some dance numbers. There were also Christmas hits being played beforehand and during intermission, and Xmas adverts were shown on the big screen during the commercial break, all of which added to that warm, fuzzy feeling of festive fun and Christmassy nostalgia.

For those looking for some festive fun and a chance to pass the Christmas panto tradition down to a new generation of youngsters, Snow White at the Empire is a very good option.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent

Liam Mellor: "Pantomime has got a really special place in my heart"

Image Source: LinkedIn

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Continuing our preview of Snow White this winter at the Liverpool Empire, we spoke to Liam Mellor, who plays Muddles in the show. Liam told us about who Muddles is and why people can relate to his character, as well as some of his other experiences and his love for theatre and pantomime ...

To begin with, how did you get involved in Snow White?

Well, I was here at the Empire last Christmas for Dick Whittington, and after the show finished, the producer rung me and said "Would you like to come back this year for Snow White?" And I was like, "Yeah!" It was as simple as that.

Tell us about your character Muddles.

Muddles is Snow White's best friend. It's normally the character that I play He's in love with the Princess, he never gets the Princess; it's just a character that's always up for fun and laughter, and love as well. But to be honest, the audience mainly fall in love with Muddles; that's the love I get back if I do my job right. I play my character like a child in a big body, like Jack (in the Robin Williams film). That's the way I play it, all childlike, and my humour is mainly for the kids. Obviously, there's stuff for the adults as well, but mainly I interact with the kids to keep them happy.

What would you say is your most unusual experience from participating in panto?

I don't like to write a lot of the comedy; I like to do off-the-cuff humour and see what happens with the audience. I do a lot of ad-libbing; just ask the cast! (Laughs) So, I like to go with the flow and see what happens. I've never had anything where anybody has reacted badly, but I did have one situation last year where we did Whip and Nae Nae and we teach the kids how to do it, and this one girl turned around and said to me "Eh! That's not how you do it! This is how you do it!" And she did it and was amazing, and I was like "I've just been mugged off here by a four-year-old!" But I like it when people give me stuff back; I like to have a bit of banter, because at the end of the day it's all fun and laughter. And I like the shows to stand out; I'm not a big fan of what we call cod corpses, where something is messed up but it was supposed to be messed up, but the audience doesn't know that. I don't like that; there's always a mistake that happens in every show, so I like to go along with that and then make a big thing out of it.

What are the other highlights of your theatre career?

Well, I'm also a writer; I write a lot of pantomimes over in St Helens. This is my 11th year in pantomime, and I've been doing it since I was 17. I also went to China with a pantomime last year for 3 ½ months with Aladdin, so that was a new experience for me; that was quite good fun. But I mainly do theatre and a lot of comedy, whether it's a comedy play or whether it's a pantomime; either way, I love theatre.

You mentioned the Aladdin show in China; did you have to tailor your performance a little differently given that you were playing to a new audience?

Yeah. Well, for me, I was lucky because over there they like a lot of visual humour, so they like a lot of slapstick, which is my favourite sort of humour anyway. Also, all of the lines were translated, and there were boards above the stage and to the side of the stage that translated the language. So sometimes you'd be there performing to them, and they're looking up to these boards, or they're looking to the sides at the boards. But I put in a bit of Chinese as well, which the translators did for us, so it helps break that barrier with the audience. So my first line was "Ni hao everybody!", which means "Hello everybody!" It's amazing because if I did that, I got a really big round of applause because you've spoken their language, which was really nice. The people were lovely, and they're really respectful to people over there, so it was good fun.

Do you have any future ambitions in theatre?

I will definitely not give up doing pantomime at Christmas for anything; no matter what I was doing, whether I got a TV role or a film role, I would make sure that I would always get to do a pantomime. My granddad took me as a child to watch pantomime every year at theatres in Sheffield, and that was a very special time for me. I always used to make my granddad wait and we would be the last people to leave just because I never wanted to leave. So, pantomime has got a really special place in my heart, no matter what I do or no matter what I might like to do. I've started writing pantomimes now, which is fantastic. I've also just become an executive producer for a company on their pantomimes which I love. But I'd never give up actually performing in pantomimes.

Finally, what can the Liverpool audience expect from Snow White?

They can expect the same as last year (in Dick Whittington) but with extra jokes, extra pizzazz, extra foolery; basically, everything x 100. They loved everything I did last year which I'm very grateful for, so this time I've got to bump it up and do even more, and then maybe they'll want me back the year after.

Snow White will be delivering festive fun at the Liverpool Empire from Saturday December 10 to Saturday December 31. To book your tickets, click here.

A Princely Chat With Stephen Fletcher

Image Source: Made Up

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

After speaking to Jorgie Porter, who will play Snow White at the Liverpool Empire Theatre this winter, we wanted to hear from her future Prince! So, we caught up with Stephen Fletcher, who will be taking on the time-honoured role of Prince Charming ...

Tell us about your role in Snow White.

Well, I play the love interest of Snow White, the Prince, Prince Charming; that's usually his title!

I understand that you have previous experience working with the Liverpool Empire at panto season.

Yes, I've done one panto before, with Cilla Black in 2008, where I played the Prince again. That was good; it was nice to meet Cilla Black, and other Scouse legends like Les Dennis and Ted Robbins. That was a while ago now, so it's good to be back at the Empire this Christmas.

What are some of your other highlights in your theatre career so far?

I'd done bits and bobs before that panto, but it was a real honour to be cast for a show at the Empire, as it's the jewel in Liverpool's theatre scene. I've done a lot of theatre stuff here, there and everywhere: since 2008, I've done a lot of work at the Royal Court, and I wrote a show there last year called Mam! I'm 'Ere! And I've done bits of telly in between, so I've done odds and sods.

You mentioned your own show Mam! I'm 'Ere! Tell us more about that.

Because a lot of us didn't have a job over Christmas time, I had the time to write a spoof show called Mam! I'm 'Ere! It's obviously a spoof of Mamma Mia! The difference is that the main character is looking for her mum rather than her dad. I wrote the story based around the cast who would be involved, I worked in a few disco songs and sold out over Christmas; there were around 10,000 people in total who came to watch it. Then, the Royal Court did a co-production of it with me last summer, and we had 23,000 people come out to see it then. It was a great family show, so I'm really proud of that one.

What would you consider to be the most unusual project that you've worked on in theatre?

Well, I've done loads of random things; as an actor, you get asked to do lots of workshops before a play has been written while the idea is being developed, so to create a play, sometimes directors will get you to do lots of weird and wonderful things, like roll around floors or improvise, but as an actor, you've just got to go along and do it. There have been moments where I've thought "I didn't expect to be in this scenario!" Like chatting backstage with Cilla Black, talking about her time at the London Palladium; that was definitely going in my memory bank. And when I've worked in London on and off, I've met people that you'd never think that you'd get to meet, so those kind of things are weird and wonderful for me, really.

Were you a fan of panto growing up?

Yeah, I think my first memory of theatre was pantomime. I used to work at the Chester Gateway Theatre as a carpenter, so I used to help build the sets. So, I went to watch one of the pantos with my family there, so that sticks out. One of my first memories of the Empire was a panto about Mr. T; I remember seeing that with my family way at the back of the Gods, but that's still stayed with me.

What can the Liverpool audience expect from Snow White?

Well, it's always a spectacle. With First Family, the company who are running the show, it's traditional that people who come will know what to expect, with the catch phrases and stuff. It'll be a feel-good family show.

Snow White will be delivering festive fun at the Liverpool Empire from Saturday December 10 to Saturday December 31. To book your tickets, click here.

Jorgie Porter: "Snow White Is Going To Be A Great Show"

Image Source: IMDB

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Chances are that you'll know Jorgie Porter for different reasons, whether it be as Theresa McQueen on Hollyoaks, the second-placed contestant on Dancing On Ice or the lovable Scouser from last year's series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! But you'll soon have to address her as "Snow White". Yes, Jorgie is taking up the classic role of Snow White in this year's Christmas pantomime at the Liverpool Empire, where she will encounter more trials and tribulations than even Hollyoaks could throw up. (Okay, maybe not.) We recently spoke with Jorgie to discuss her role in Snow White, as well as her varied and exciting career across a plethora of fields to date ...

First of all, can you tell us about how you earned the part of Snow White?

It was one of those exciting things where somebody calls you up and says "Do you want to do this?" and you go "Erm, yeah!" (Laughs) So, I was lucky to be asked, really.

Were you a fan of panto growing up?

I've always been a fan of panto. I've never really wanted to sit and watch a serious play, because I think it's a bit too much. But pantos are so exciting, and when you can see the kids laughing and the adults are laughing at something else that goes over the heads of the kids - it's great!

You've had two separate stints on Hollyoaks, playing the role of Theresa McQueen. What would you consider to be your most memorable moments from your time on the soap?

I had brilliant things happen to Theresa. She's died and come back to life, she's given birth twice, she's shot and killed somebody - to be honest with you, that was probably my best moment when I killed Calvin. That was a brilliant storyline.

In 2012, you were named FHM's Hottest Female Soap Star. I have to say it was well-deserved ...

Thank you! (Laughs)

How did it feel to win that award?

I don't believe it. I always think that I'm not really that sexy; I see myself more as a goofy weirdo, so to be seen in that way was the biggest compliment ever to me.

So it's almost like you don't see yourself that way, but everybody else does?

Yeah, it's weird. When I do a photo shoot and I see it, I'm like "Oh, that's not me", almost like I'm playing a character. Everybody will say "Oh, that's you", and I'll be like "Erm, no it isn't!" (Laughs)

Tell us about your experience as a contestant on Dancing On Ice that same year.

That was amazing, and I probably didn't realise at the time just how great it was, My skating partner Matt Evers was brilliant (at one point, I accidentally cut him in the face by chopping him between the eyes), and I came second too. So, one day I will sit back and think "Wow, I've done all these things", and I'll probably just faint!

You've had other experience on reality television, with the obvious example being when you were a contestant on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! last year. What were some of the challenges about being in the jungle?

For me, at first it was really fast-paced, it was crazy good and they were like "Yeah, go and do this! Touch these lobsters!" You know, stuff like that. To be honest with you, I've not gone back and watched it yet, so I don't know what happened, but I think when you throw yourself into things where you don't really realise what's going on, you just find a way to do it, basically. But when it got to about the third week, I was like "Right, can I go home now?" The producers were like "No, you want to win!" But I was like "No, I want to go and live in Versace, eat burgers and just lie down and sunbathe!" (Laughs) So, I did get to a point where I thought about what I was doing there because it was really hard. But when it came to the Super Soaker slide challenge, that absolutely turned everything around for me, and it made me think "Do you know what? Everything comes to an end and you're going to be fine, and you can live for anything. So, it did teach me a massive life lesson about not to worry when things end. When you are struggling with things, they will come to an end so don't worry.

You've released calendars over the last few years. In regards to the photo shoots for the calendars, was this something that you ever felt nervous about doing, or was it something that you were able to just throw yourself into?

You have to throw yourself into it. It's another one of those things where I think "Oh, this isn't me!" You kind of blank out what's going on around you and you just do it and not to get nervous about it before it happens. Don't think; that's my main way of dealing with it! (Laughs) You just have to act natural, and everybody wears underwear, so it just feels normal when posing for the photo shoots.

You recently joined the cast of Are You Being Served?

Yeah, I think initially people were a bit nervous about how it was going to come across (with it being an update on a classic series), but I think it was produced brilliantly, and the viewing figures were around 5.4-5.5 million I think, so it went really well, Which makes me happy, and the cast were amazing too , not to mention that they were nervous too because they had to portray characters who had already been established originally by other people, so they all pulled it off really well.

Tell us about your plans over in Los Angeles.

In LA, I go out to do classes rather than being in England and doing classes here. I think over here, people are going to judge me more, whereas if I do it in a place where nobody knows me, then I can just do whatever and be whatever I need to, and to be myself really.

The final question is, what can people expect when they come to see Snow White this winter at the Liverpool Empire?

I think this is going to be a great show. I think we're already bouncing off each other, it's really funny and I can't wait to get the script as I can't wait to get stuck in! My family have already booked tickets, and they've told me that they'll all be sitting on the front row, which I find really hard to understand as there won't be 50-odd front rows! (Laughs)

So, the first thing you'll see on stage will be your family and friends, which I'm sure will settle your nerves!

Yeah! (Laughs)

Snow White will be delivering festive fun at the Liverpool Empire from Saturday December 10 to Saturday December 31. To book your tickets, click here.

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: March 25 2016
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, England

It's Easter time, which can only mean one thing: it's panto season!

Well, okay, that's usually around Christmas time, but over the last few years, Easter has become an additional point of annual pantomime, led on a local level by the Epstein Theatre and their latest production (well, as created by LHK Productions), Snow White.

Now, I've attended several Epstein pantos so I kind of know what to expect in regards to the general structure and the overall story, although this one had the benefit of some surprise characters and several classic sing-a-long tunes to be incorporated into the show. And, of course, anyone who has attended previous pantos will expect a child-friendly story of good vs. evil, almost always giving the audience the desired happy ending (imagine the tears in the theatre if it had a sad conclusion).

Snow White follows the story of, erm, Snow White (played by Georgia Austin), who having been mistreated by her evil stepmother the Wicked Witch (played by Debi Jones) is unexpectedly informed about the incoming arrival of Prince Charming (played by James Hill), who is planning to marry "the fairest lady of them all". Of course, the haggard old witch knows that Snow White has her beat in this department, so she orders her henchman (Tom Burroughs) to take Snow into the forest and have her killed. But he can't bring himself to do the dirty deed, and so Snow is instead told to run for her life, in the hope that she will find safety and somehow be connected with the Prince in the future.

Cue music numbers, both those relevant to the story and some pop tunes interweaved into a few bonus dance scenes (which feature a cast of more than a dozen young dance performers), the casting of director Michael Chapman in his regular role as a drag artist with a risqué sense of humour (his character here is Dame Debbie, or Double D - yes, that's a pun), the starring of Muddles (Lewis Pryor) as Debbie's dim-witted yet likeable son, the use of a fairy (Olivia Horton) to introduce parts and key scenes, and some cameos by Ricky Tomlinson on The Magic Mirror (incidentally, Ricky was sat a few rows in front of me, so at certain points I was watching Ricky watching Ricky, which was a bit surreal), and a whole host of jokes which varied from being kid-friendly to some adult-themed double entendres that would have flown over the heads of the younger ones. Oh, and there were seven dwarves too.

Unfortunately, though, the viewing experience of this particular pantomime was not on the level of previous pantos, and that was due to the poor audio quality. I was sat in the upper deck for this show, and for much of the show I could barely hear what the characters were saying, from the plot-moving announcements to the frequent one-liners. Things did improve in the second half but only slightly, which obviously meant that the story couldn't be followed as easily (although the plot is a relatively simple one), and more importantly many jokes couldn't be heard, including Ricky's contributions on the Magic Mirror. For that reason, one could not enjoy the show in the same way that I had with other pantos, at least not from my seating point.

The performances were good, though. Dame Debbie provided plenty of laughs as usual, and Muddles had some clever jokes as well. Georgia Austin did a fine job playing the damsel in distress that is Snow White and her singing was pretty good, making her the stand-out performer of the night. As stated, Ricky was quite funny when you could hear him (he seemed to be cast as Jim Royle as opposed to Ricky Tomlinson, not that that is a bad thing), whilst James Hill initially seemed nervous but eventually settled into the Prince Charming character. And Burroughs played the Henchman well, at times having some funny lines of his own. There was also the regular interlude whereby Chapman, in character, invited young children on stage to win some prizes, which due to the unexpected nature of the kids is usually a show highlight, as it was here.

There were some other slightly dodgy aspects of the production (some curtain movements and lighting changes happened in such a way that you knew they weren't meant to happen, one or two characters muddled up their lines or dropped their props, and the dwarves were oversized which, while making the dwarf costumes look lifelike, actually made them bigger than the main characters). On the bright side, speaking of costumes, the attires were very good, especially for the closing wedding scene and, of course, Snow White's costume throughout most of the show. The sets were kept simple and, to that end, were true to the story.

Overall, then, the kids should enjoy the story of Snow White as told by this production, and the adults should have a good time as well due to Debbie's more risky jokes. My only advice to theatregoers is that they try to sit in the lower deck so that they can take in more of the show than I did, at least from an audio standpoint. Had the sound not been such a major issue, the rating below would probably be a lot higher.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the fairest panto of all? Casting announced for Empire panto

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Empire Theatre

First Family Entertainment and the Liverpool Empire are delighted to announce the line-up for this year’s family pantomime, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.

TV favourite Jorgie Porter will be making her pantomime debut as she heads up this year’s cast in the title role of Snow White.

Jorgie is best known for her role as Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4 drama serial Hollyoaks. Jorgie was a contestant on the seventh series of Dancing On Ice on ITV. She made it all the way to the final where she finished runner up. Jorgie was then asked to return for Dancing On Ice: Champion Of Champions. Jorgie recently starred in ITV's award winning series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Jorgie spent 23 days in the jungle and had huge public support back home in the UK and finished 5th. Since returning from Australia, Jorgie has filmed an episode of Lip Sync Battle for Channel 5 against Rufus Hound and worked with E! on their live red carpet coverage of the Golden Globes. Most recently Jorgie has been announced as part of the cast of the much-anticipated remake of the comedy Are You Being Served which will be aired on BBC 1 later in the year.

Jorgie commented: "I am so excited to be appearing in Snow White at the Liverpool Empire. It’s every girls dream to play a Princess and Snow White is one of the best! What an honour it is to be appearing at the Liverpool Empire too which is such a beautiful theatre and the pantomime audiences are the best in the country so I can’t wait to see you all this Christmas."

Joining Jorgie are Empire pantomime favourite’s Leanne Campbell who will be taking on the role of the Wicked Queen and Liam Mellor is back by popular demand as the lovable comic, Muddles.

Leanne Campbell has become a much-loved member of the Empire panto family and returns for her fourth consecutive year. Leanne hosts Liverpool's number 1 breakfast show weekday mornings 6-10am on Radio City 96.7, but it was theatre where Leanne first cut her teeth when she first appeared on stage at the age of ten whilst training at Elliott Clarke school of Dance and Drama full time. She landed roles such as Annie (Liverpool Playhouse) and Helen Forester, Twopence to cross the Mersey (Liverpool Empire) for which she was awarded a Scouseology Award for ‘Top Theatre Personality’ and a Daily Post Art Award in the ‘Best New Talent’ category. After winning a scholarship to continue training at Laines Theatre Arts in London, she then continued her theatre career both in Liverpool and on tour.

Leanne is delighted to be appearing in the Empire pantomime once again but this time as the baddie a role she can’t wait to get her teeth stuck into.

After delighting audiences in the role of Idle Jack last year, Liam Mellor returns with his madcap comedy style this time in the role of Muddles. Liam is well known across the UK for his comedy work and received ‘cracking’ reviews last year. He is no stranger to pantomime having written and starred in many pantomime at St Helens Theatre Royal.

Snow White is a dazzling fairytale of a pantomime guaranteed to melt everyone’s hearts; watch as the beautiful Snow White and her seven little friends attempt to defeat the Wicked Queen. Will Snow White meet her Handsome Prince and save the day? Come along to the Liverpool Empire this Christmas to find out. Spectacular sets, sparkling costumes, side splitting comedy and lots and lots of fun for the whole family to enjoy.

To book tickets, visit http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/snow-white-2016/liverpool-empire/.