Elaine Paige Joins the Cast of Pantoland at The Palladium in December
(Photo: Nicky Johnson)
Stage legend Elaine Paige will be stepping into the spotlight this holiday season. She will join the cast of Pantoland at The Palladium as Queen Rat for the three-week holiday run beginning on December 12. The pantomime will return to the London Palladium for a fifth consecutive year provide holiday cheer for a socially-distanced audience; seating in the venue has been reconfigured and the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory.
Paige returns to the London Palladium, having played Queen Rat in Dick Whittington in 2017. She joins a cast that includes two-time Olivier Award nominee Charlie Stemp, Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot, Ashley Banjo & Diversity as well as panto newcomers Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat-bound star Jac Yarrow and Cinderella movie-bound star Beverley Knight, who previously performed at the London Palladium to test reopening in the wake of COVID-19.
"Bringing theater back to the West End is vital for our industry, which has been largely closed since March," Paige said in a statement. "I’m thrilled to play a part in helping theatre take its first steps towards full reopening in 2021."
In addition to her iconic turn in Cats and her Olivier Award-winning performance in Evita, Paige's credits include Olivier-nominated performances in Chess, Anything Goes, Piaf and Sunset Boulevard, the latter of which she reprised on Broadway. Paige earned a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in the most recent Broadway revival of Follies. BBC Radio 2's Elaine Paige on Sunday is broadcasted weekly on Broadway.com. She will host the virtual adoption event West End Woofs alongside Bernadette Peters on November 9.
Devised by Michael Harrison, Pantoland at The Palladium has become an essential part of Christmas in London. This show features the work of choreographer Karen Bruce, set designer Ian Westbrook, costume designer Hugh Durrant, lighting designer Ben Cracknell, sound designer Gareth Owen and composer and orchestrator Gary Hind.
