The festive fun is back again with Ipswich's favourite Rock 'n' Roll panto!
Mrs Ringer, our fabulous Dame, is busy making wedding plans for her daughter Belle, unaware that she and her feathered friend Pigeon have other ideas…
Drawn to a mysterious, 1000-year-old door hidden in the heart of Ipswich, they uncover a magical secret – a Beast cursed by the wicked Snarlina!
Can the Beast break the spell in time by learning to love again? Can Belle see beyond his 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!
Please note: The 9pm Friday peformances are ‘Late Night Specials’, aimed at audiences of 16+. These shows may contain strong language, actors tripping one another up and occasional corpsing.
Watch our panto BSL flyer!
Beauty and the Beast sponsored by
The Cast
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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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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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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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Neil Urquhart
The Beast
Neil Urquhart
The 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