Mountview Students, Graduates (and Tutors) take on Pantoland

Panto season is once again upon us and as always there is a wealth of Mountview talent involved in productions all over the UK. If you’re shouting ‘he’s behind you’ this Christmas the chances are it’ll be aimed at someone who studied with us. Not only that, if you’re watching an actor fly around the stage they’re probably working with special effects installed by one of our Production Arts students Elsbeth Westland who at the last count has worked on 4 different pantomimes across the country.

Rapunzel at the Hertford Theatre leads the Mountview takeover with Nick Chave, Arlene McNaught, Sarah Morrison and Chris Draper all working on it.

Aladdin is a popular choice this year, with our alumni involved with 4 productions. Delme Thomas and Dora Rubinstein will be on the magic carpet at the Duke’s Theatre in Lancaster, Anna Brook-Mitchell is at the Watford Palace, Lizzie Wofford and Ben Thornton are in Lichfield at the Garrick and Sam Ebenezer will be at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon.

Beauty and the Beast remains a firm favourite, with Victoria Sye, Grant Cartwright and Ashley Jacobs all involved in Tenbury Wells’ production and Maisey Bawden playing Belle at the Harrogate Theatre. At the Nottingham Theatre Royal Natalie Spriggs will be helping to tell the tale as old as time, whilst Melissa Potts will be doing the same in Barnstable.

Scott Wallace, Sharon Duffy and Greg Reid are all working on productions of Jack and the Beanstalk, at the York Theatre Royal, Millenium Forum Derry and Carriageworks Theatre Leeds respectively. Taking on Peter Pan will be Elliot Clay and Alex Bellamy, Nicola Barney and Nichole Bird at Blackpool Opera House, the Flora Pavilion New Brighton and Winchester Theatre Royal.

Rounding up the rest of the classics are Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Jean-Luke Worrell and Thom Ford will be trying on glass slippers at the Greenwich Theatre and Octagon Theatre Yeovil respectively whilst Larissa Webb will be trying to stay awake at the Lamproom Theatre Yorkshire. Finally, Natasha Hoeberigs and Reuben Greeph will be in Snow White at Darlington Hippodrome, Scott Howlett will be doing the same at Above the Stag in Vauxhall and Louie Westwood will be avoiding apples at the Chelmsford Theatre.

Finishing up our festive roundup is some less traditional Christmas theatre, with Beth Bradley choreographing Robin Hood in Leicester and Samuel Ward-Smith starring in ‘Twas the Night before Christmas at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Best of luck to everyone mentioned.