The festive fun is back again with Ipswich's favourite Rock 'n' Roll panto!
A mysterious, 1000-year-old door hidden in the heart of Ipswich holds a magical secret – a Beast cursed by the wicked Snarlina!
Belle and her feathered friend Pigeon, along with the fabulous dame, Mrs Ringer, the flamboyant Jacques Le Plop and many other hilarious characters must work together to save the Beast from the spell… can Belle see beyond the Beast’s fearsome face? And can Pigeon save the day without getting in a flap?!
Find out in our latest spectacular festive show for all ages that’s packed full of hilarious adventure, all your favourite panto gags and incredible rock and pop hits all played live by an exceptionally talented cast including hits from Meatloaf, Chappell Roan, The Darkness, Bruno Mars, Dolly Parton and more!
Please note: The 9pm Friday performances are Late Night Specials, for audiences aged 16+. They will contain strong language, actors doing their best to trip one another up and occasional corpsing!
Watch our panto BSL flyer!
Beauty and the Beast sponsored by
Production images by Will Green Photography
'I was blown away... the cast made this show go above the rest of the pantomimes I have ever seen before.'
Ipswich Star
'This year it's truly the best I've seen.'
Suffolk on Stage
'Beauty and the Beast is the wildest of the Rock 'n' Roll pantos I have seen over the years.'
Suffolk News
'A lively, funny and fizzing night out... one of the best pantos the New Wolsey have produced.'
Molly Takes the Stand
'The best Wolsey panto for years.'
Audience Comment
'The cast are brilliant and there were so many laughs!'
Audience Comment
'Brilliant show and such a talented cast - a must see!'
Audience Comment
The Cast
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Leo Elso
Ensemble
Leo Elso
Ensemble
Leo is a West End performer, composer and musician trained at The MTA London.
Selected credits include: ABBA Voyage (Motion capture), Pistol (Disney +), The Grinning Man (Trafalgar Theatre), Guardians of the Galaxy (Secret Cinema), Romeo & Juliet (Midsummer Scene festival, Dubrovnik), Hello Again (UK Tour), The Foreigners Panto (BOLD Elephant), Peter Pan (Chester Storyhouse), Cinderella (Leeds City varieties), The Blitz Club (Motion Capture),C-O-N-T-A-C-T (worldwide), Alice in Wonderland (Covent Garden) Alice Through the Looking Glass (Covent Garden), Cat in (Re)boots (Livestream), Project: Cyrano (Vienna’s English Theatre), The Misanthrope (Camden people’s theatre), The Doctor In Spite of Himself (Drayton Arms Theatre), The Flies (The Bunker Theatre), DUSTY (Charing Cross Theatre), West End Eurovision (Adelphi Theatre), West End Heroes (Dominion Theatre).
He has most recently appeared as Passepartout in Around The World in 80 days, which he composed as a commission for Midsummer Scene Festival, Dubrovnik
As a Composer, he has a longstanding relationship with writer and director Sean Aita. Together they’ve developed Virtual Heroes, Undercover Star and The Little Prince, all for Vienna’s English Theatre; The aforementioned Around The World in 80 Days, as well as the Rock musical Rescue Me
Leo also composes for film and theatre, most recently for French Toast (Riverside Studios), and most notably for award-winning parisian playwright Samuel Valensi on his plays L’inversion De La Courbe, Melone Blu and Made In France.
Leo comes from a Rock music background and keeps writing and performing his own songs:
His first album, “Honni Soit Qui Mal Y Pense” is out and he has released a live session available at YouTube.com/LeoElso and all streaming platforms.
Twitter: @LeoElso
TikTok: @LeoElso
Instagram: @imleoelso
YouTube.com/LeoElso
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Max Gallagher
Mrs Ringer
Max Gallagher
Mrs Ringer
Max is delighted to be returning to the New Wolsey Theatre after playing ‘Baddie Dame’ Thornica in last year’s Sleeping Beauty!
THEATRE ACTING CREDITS INCLUDE: Geordie/Baby Joey/1st Cover Songman War Horse (UK/Australia Tour including Lyttelton, National Theatre); Jim/1st Cover Mr Perks The Railway Children (Bradford 2025/York Theatre Royal); Marquess of Dorset Richard III (Hull Truck/Northern Broadsides/Hull 2017); Stephen Lynn Brief Encounter & The Fall of the House of Usher (Watermill); Mog (The Old Vic/Royal & Derngate/Wardrobe Ensemble); Duke of Amalfi The Duchess of Amalfi’s Steward (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Globe); Gideon Klein Gideon Klein: A Play with Music (Modalways/Bradford 2025); Henry Clerval Frankenstein (Blackeyed UK Tour); Aunt Spiker/Centipede James & the Giant Peach (Selladoor UK/Hong Kong/Middle East Tour); Marley A Christmas Carol (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick); Scarecrow The Wizard of Oz (Theatre Royal, Winchester); Beauty and the Beast (CAST, Doncaster); PIAF (Bridewell/Charing Cross); Colin Craven The Secret Garden, The Comedy of Errors and Witch Macbeth (Grosvenor Park, Chester); The A-Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse); Scripps The History Boys (Mercury, Colchester); Love, Lies & Lust (Queen’s, Hornchurch); The Comedy of Babi Babbett, Gods & Dogs, The Dressing Book (Rude Mechanical UK Tours); The Hatchling (Trigger Stuff); Hindley Wuthering Heights the Musical (MMD); Hello Norma Jeane (Southwold); Jack & the Giant (Chipping Norton); Oh No! Not Snow! (Royal & Derngate); Rapunzel (York Theatre Royal/tutti frutti UK/Ireland Tour); Alice in Wonderland & Grimm Tales’ Winter Gala (Grimm Productions)
TV ACTING CREDITS INCLUDE: Home Fires (ITV)
COMPOSER, LYRICIST, ARRANGER & MUSICAL DIRECTOR/SUPERVISOR CREDITS INCLUDE: Composer/Co-Lyricist Robin Good (Norwich Playhouse). Composer/MD Oh We Do Like To Be (HighTide/Turbine). Assistant Composer/MD Roots (1927/Edinburgh International Festival/Spoleto Festival USA/HOME Manchester/Théâtre de la Ville International Tour). Musical Supervisor for Mehr Als Auf Der Welt/Please Right Back (1927/Burgtheater Vienna) and Lesbian Pirates: The Musical (Lowry). MD/Arranger Centralia (Arcola), Oneida (Seven Dials), The Rotter’s Opera (Astor), Tomfoolery (Southwold), Parade (Rose Bruford). Rehearsal Room Music Copyist/Transcriber Tammy Faye (Almeida). Show MD Mog (The Old Vic/Royal & Derngate/Wardrobe Ensemble), Brief Encounter (Watermill), Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Pants on Fire/VAULTS), Once Upon a Snowflake (Pegasus, Oxford). Keys 2 Dick Whittington & his Cat (Norwich Theatre Royal). Pianist/Vocalist Spirit Trio (Spirit of Adventure and Discovery Cruise Ships, SAGA)
TRAINING: Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College
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Signe Larsson
Snarlina
Signe Larsson
Snarlina
Signe grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, where she trained as a dancer (Diambra Dance Education) and in Musical Theatre (Ballet Academy, Stockholm). She moved to London to study at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, where she became the first actor musician to receive the Gyearbuor Asante Award for Acting when graduating in 2023.
Her theatre credits include Piaf (Watermill Theatre); Sleeping Beauty (New Wolsey Theatre); Footloose (New Wolsey Theatre); Beautiful, the Carol King Musical (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Sense & Sensibility (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); and The Wizard of Oz (Watermill Theatre).
Signe is delighted to be back at the New Wolsey Theatre to rock out in Beauty and the Beast with this incredible company.
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Myles Miller
Jacques Le Plop
Myles Miller
Jacques Le Plop
I’m so incredibly happy to have been giving this opportunity to perform at the New Wolsey yet again! This theatre always has a special place in my heart as the audiences are always committed and invested in having a good time! It’s a great privilege to perform to such a generous and open audience!
Myles trained at Mountview Academy of Performing Arts, graduating in 2021 with a BA (Hons) Performance – Actor Musicianship. Main instruments include: Trumpet, Cornett, Piano, Drums, Percussion and Flute.
Theatre credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Nottingham Playhouse); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour); Alice in Wonderland (Everyman Theatre); Footloose (Pitlochry Festival Theatre & The New Wolsey Theatre) The Secret Garden (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); and Dick Whittington (The New Wolsey Theatre).
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Nis Raza Hamilton
Belle
Nis Raza Hamilton
Belle
Nis Raza Hamilton trained at the Guildford School of Acting.
Her theatre credits include: The Railway Children (York Theatre Royal/Bradford City of Culture); and her credits whilst training include Alfie, We Happy Few and Whistle Down the Wind.
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Eloise Richardson
Pigeon
Eloise Richardson
Pigeon
Born in Suffolk, Eloise is an actor-musician with training from Rose Bruford College.
Her theatre credits include Dick Whittington and his Cat (New Wolsey Theatre); Once Upon a Flowerbed (Moonbeam Theatre); The Littlest Yak (LAS Theatre); Navarre (The Cockpit Theatre); and Teechers (New Wolsey Theatre/Eastern Angles Theatre/UK Tour).
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Ceri-Ann Townsend
Ensemble
Ceri-Ann Townsend
Ensemble
Ceri-Ann is a Scottish performer & professional musician originally from Edinburgh.
She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Musical Theatre at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she also graduated with a BMus in Orchestral Percussion & Timpani.
Her recent productions include: Our House (Ensemble/Cover Pressman); and Sweeney Todd (Ensemble/Dance Captain) with the Richard Burton Co.
Ceri-Ann has also played with the National Symphony Orchestra and Welsh National Opera and regularly plays drums for local bands/artists such as Liam J. Edwards.
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Christian Tyler-Wood
Ensemble
Christian Tyler-Wood
Ensemble
Training: Performance Preparation Academy.
Theatre includes: Rumours (Norwegian Aqua); The Choir of Man (Arts Centre Melbourne & Norwegian Escape); Syd Norman’s Pour House (Norwegian Aqua & Norwegian Escape); American Idiot (UK Tour); Spring Awakening (Hope Mill); Jersey Boys (International Tour); Myths & Legends (Bridlington Spa); Big Girls Don’t Cry (UK Tour); and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Dartford Orchard & Hull New).
Workshops include: Billionaire Boy.
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Neil Urquhart
Beast
Neil Urquhart
Beast
Neil Urquhart is a Scottish Actor, Musician, and Voiceover Artist. He trained at The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.
He is thrilled to be returning to the New Wolsey Theatre for his third Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto – oh yes he is! He’s a little bit older and hairier, but you’ll have seen him in Aladdin (2019) and Jack in the Beanstalk (2021).
His other credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Syd Norman’s Pourhouse, As You Like It, Antigone, The Investigator: A British Crime Story, and Bicycle Boy (UK Tour).
He is the voice of Queen Margret University, and when he isn’t on stage, he’s a creative copywriter working in UK advertising agencies.
He loves long walks, small dogs, and running games of Dungeons & Dragons with his nerdy mates!
The Creative Team
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Myles Brown
Choreographer
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Callum Macdonald
Lighting Designer
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Christianna Mason
Associate Set and Costume Designer
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Jake Smith
Director
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Vikki Stone
Writer
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Libby Todd
Set and Costume Designer
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Matthew Tuckey
Sound Designer