West End’s leading lady Alexia Khadime (who won the award for Best Supporting Cast Member at the 2014 Wilma Awards for her role in The Book of Mormon) will be returning to the site of her stage debut to star as Princess Tahlia (Sleeping Beauty). She will be joined by Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke who returns to Hackney Empire after her appearance in Mother Goose in 2014. They are joined by Gavin Spokes who makes his dameing debut, he joins the Hackney Empire family straight from his Olivier Award-nominated performance as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls in the West End.
Following their 2015 pantomime which was seen by over 55,000 people Sleeping Beauty will run from 26 November 2016 to 8 January 2017 with Press Night on 1 December.
The full cast includes: Alexia Khadime, Sharon D Clarke, Gavin Spokes, Kat B, Tony Whittle, Darren Hart, Wayne Perrey, Georgia Oldman, Kiruna Stamell and Sharon Ballard.
Sleeping Beauty will be written and directed by the theatre’s Creative Director Susie McKenna with music by Steven Edis. The award-winning team has been the creative force behind London’s number one pantomime for over a decade and will once again bring a classic story bang up to date. Sleeping Beauty will be McKenna and Edis’ 18th pantomime for Hackney Empire.
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In true Hackney Empire style that brings West End values at East End prices, this spellbinding spectacular family pantomime will be packed with colourful characters, knockabout comedy, show-stopping musical routines, magic and sparkle, played out in the beautiful Victorian Theatre.
Welcome to enchanted Hackneytonia; a land of fairies, unicorns and dragons where once upon a time, a princess is born. Spurned at the celebration party, malevolent wicked fairy Carabosse casts an evil spell which changes the Princess’s life forever. Will Princess Tahlia take charge of her own destiny?
Alexia Khadime (Princess Tahlia – Sleeping Beauty) has previously performed at Hackney Empire, playing Alice in the 2012 pantomime Dick Wittington and his Cat. Alexia’s other stage credits include The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales), Les Miserables (Queens Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria), The Lion King (Lyceum), Ordinary Days (Trafalgar Studios), Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre) and the UK Tours of Whistle Down the Wind and Leader of the Pack. Her film and television credits include Les Miserables, and London Road.
Sharon D Clarke (Carabosse) returns to the Hackney Empire after most recently starring there in 2014 pantomime Mother Goose. Her extensive theatre credits include her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Amen Corner (National Theatre), as well as her Olivier nominated performances in We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre) and Ghost (Piccadilly Theatre). Other recent credits include Porgy & Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Everyman (National Theatre), Pigs and Dogs (Royal Court) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (National Theatre).
Gavin Spokes (Dame Nanny Nora) most recently played the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls (West End) for which he received an Olivier Award-nomination. Other Theatre credits include 1984 (Headlong/West End) One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre UK Tour), Laurel and Hardy (Watermill Theatre), Wind In the Willows (Northampton Theatre Royal), She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre). Recent television credits include Holby City (BBC), and Utopia (both Channel 4).
SLEEPING BEAUTY plays at Hackney Empire Sat 26 Nov 2016 – Sun 8 Jan 2017
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
Signed Performances
Sat 10 Dec at 1pm (relaxed performance) & 6pm.
Thu 15 Dec at 1.30pm & 7pm.
Relaxed Performance
Sat 10 Dec at 1pm (signed performance)
