NEW WOLSEY THEATRE ANNOUNCE 2023 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PANTOMIME
DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT!
WRITTEN BY VIKKI STONE
DIRECTED BY DOUGLAS RINTOUL
23 NOVEMBER 2023 – 20 JANUARY 2024
THE RUN WILL HAVE AUDIO DESCRIBED, BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE (BSL) INTERPRETED, CAPTIONED, RELAXED/DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY & LIVESTREAMED PERFORMANCES
The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich has today announced that 2023 will see them give the rock ‘n’ roll pantomime treatment to Dick Wittington and his Cat from Thursday 23rd November 2023 – Saturday 20th January 2024.
The New Wolsey is thrilled to announce that this year’s actor-musician pantomime, which will feature a collection of both contemporary and classic pop and rock ‘n’ roll songs, will be written by award-winning comedian, writer and composer, Vikki Stone (Hey Duggee, Romeo and Duet), and will be directed by the theatre’s award-winning Chief Executive/Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul.
It’s the classic family-favourite pantomime, packed full of live music, crazy characters, awesome adventure and the purr-fect amount of feline flavour.
The theatre, which champions making performing arts accessible and is a founding member of the theatre consortium Ramps on the Moon, will offer audio described, British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted, captioned, relaxed/dementia-friendly and livestreamed performance options and pre-show touch tours during the run. The New Wolsey Theatre’s 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, won the 2022 Pantomime Award for Best Pantomime (Digital) for their livestreamed performances.
Vikki Stone made history as the first on-screen female musical director of a primetime entertainment show in the UK when she was musical director, pianist and band leader of the ITV Saturday night primetime show Romeo and Duet. Her writing credits include the Olivier Award-nominated Hey Duggee Live, which is currently on a major UK Tour until August 2023, and multiple pantomimes for London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.
Vikki Stone said, “I’m very excited about Dick in Ipswich this winter. I thought I was more mature than jokes like that, but it turns out I’m not. But in all seriousness, the New Wolsey has a wonderful tradition of rock 'n' roll pantos, and I’m very excited about my first show in the venue!”
Douglas Rintoul said of today’s announcement, “It is such a privilege to take over the helm of the New Wolsey Theatre’s iconic and much-loved rock 'n' roll pantomime. Last year over 30,000 people came through the doors and I’m looking forward to reaching many more with Vikki Stone's joyous and sparky take on this traditional tale. It’s a pleasure to be working with such a talented writer who is also passionate about the form and our audiences.”
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Saturday 1st April, with members having access to priority booking from Saturday 25th March, at www.wolseytheatre.co.uk. Information about memberships can be found at https://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/memberships/.
