Pantomime season is here (oh yes it is) and Fairfield Halls production of Cinderella has its own Prince Charming from Croydon in the leading role!

West End star James Bisp, who  has appeared in Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will take centre stage as the hero in the Phoenix Concert Hall from 10 December to January 5.

And The Chronicle, courtesy of Fairfield operator BH Live, is offering a prize of a family ticket for four to see Cinderella on  December 30 at 7pm. 

Grace Chapman, who has appeared in  Dick Whittington, Sweeny Todd, Wicked, and The Sound of Music, will star as Cinderella, alongside Bisp who joins the previously announced Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba, who is making his pantomime debut as ‘Dandini’, along with panto regular and comedian Tim Vine as ‘Buttons’.

CBeebies presenter Cat Sandion who appears as ‘Fairy Godmother’, is joined by a team of talented youngsters from Croydon and the surrounding areas – who were selected after a busy open audition at Croydon Town Hall earlier in the year. Completing the cast are panto regulars Jason Marc-Williams and Alistair Barron as the Ugly Sisters and Katie Cameron as the Wicked Stepmother. 

Speaking to The Chronicle Bisp said the last time he appeared in  panto was in his final year of drama school, playing  PC Ping Pong in Aladdin! 

James who moved to Croydon three year’s ago added: “I’ve been wanting to do panto again ever since because it’s so much fun and a truly unique type of job! 

“As actors, we get used to packing our bags and heading off to weird and wonderful towns for the Christmas season! It’s a real and rare treat to be able to stay at home in my own ‘weird and wonderful’ town instead! I can’t wait to get this show in front of the people of Croydon!” He said about the newly refurbished Fairfield Hall: “ I’ve toured to many venues over the years, but my favourites have always been the ones which fully embrace their communities. A theatre brings people together from all sections of the the community.

“As we rehearse panto, it’s so nice to see the venue starting to be discovered and used by locals as a social hub and meeting place for coffee, food, chats and laughter! This refurbishment will definitely put Croydon back on the map! As will our groundbreaking pantomime! 

I don’t see why it (Fairfield Halls) can’t now be seriously regarded as an ‘Off West End’ venue and attract a much wider audience. I hope that in the not so distant future, as well as being a receiving venue for top notch touring productions, it will become a producing theatre – creating more of its own productions in-house.”

The first reader to email editor@thorntonheathchronicle.co.uk with the name of the actor playing Prince Charming?  gets the tickets!

Tickets cost £15. Book at www.fairfield.co.uk