Nicki French
The Empress
Nicki had a wonderful time at The Elgiva for last year’s panto, and is overjoyed to have been asked back for this year’s offering! Best known for her dance track Total Eclipse of the Heart, which topped charts around the world in 1995, and also in 2000, when she was the UK’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden with Don’t Play that Song Again. Nicki didn’t win the Contest itself, but her chance to be a Eurovision winner came a few years later, when she won the celebrity edition of BBC’s The Weakest Link – Eurovision Special in 2004, raising an amazing £13,000 for Cancer Research. She is frequently invited onto TV and radio programmes for her comments in the leadup to Eurovision each year, and was honoured to be the first UK representative for a brand new show, Eurovision on Tour, which has just finished a run across Europe and Australia.
Single releases from the 2018 album Glitter to the Neon Lights led to many number one slots in the iTunes charts, and last year her album Eurovision put her back at the top again. A brand new album, Who, What, Where? was released just a couple of months ago, with yet another fantastic response from the fans.
In the past 20 years Nicki has also been in demand for her acting, as well as her singing skills, and has managed to combine the two with some wonderful theatre roles, playing eight different parts in the UK tour of Annie, three of the four characters in Menopause the Musical (UK & Ireland tours), Ethel Merman in Gee, But It’s Good to be Here – An Audience With Ethel Merman (Trent House, Newcastle), Helga ten Dorp in Deathtrap (Brookside Theatre, Romford), Sarah in Dirty Dating.com (UK tour). In early 2020, Nicki began a tour with a brand new show – Menopause the Musical 2 – Cruising Through Menopause taking the role of Power Woman, when sadly the tour had to be halted due to the Covid-19 restrictions. The show finally was able to resume in 2022, and played to packed and appreciative houses around the UK and Ireland for a full (and exhausting) six months.
Nicki LOVES her panto seasons! Having played Fairy Godmother, Dandini and other ‘good’ roles, she then discovered how much fun it was playing the baddie! She has co-starred with Bobby Crush, Bernie Clifton, Collabro’s Jamie Lambert, Syd Little, Leah Bracknell, Neil & Christine Hamilton, Matt Evers and Jonathan Ansell in various panto seasons, but in the past couple of years, she has returned to the ‘good’ side – so hopefully you will cheer her, not jeer!
Callum Stephenson
Aladdin
Callum hails from Barnstaple, North Devon, and now resides in London.
He trained at East 15 Acting School before graduating with a Musical Theatre Degree from Emil Dale Academy.
Earlier this year, Callum made his West End debut in Made in Dagenham: The Musical – 10th Anniversary Concert at The London Palladium.
You can currently see Callum in the Etsy Christmas TV advert as one of the Stag Lads.
Recent credits include Stanley/Bill in Brief Encounter at the Brighton Open Air Theatre and Dandini in Cinderella at The Elgiva.
This is Callum’s second time performing in Chesham, and he is thrilled to be back to entertain you this Christmas!
Laura Bazely
Princess Yasmin
Laura is over the moon to be returning to The Elgiva with New Pantomime Productions. Christmas is Laura’s favourite time of year because it means seeing her Elgiva family. What better way to spend the festive season?!
Laura trained in Musical Theatre at Emil Dale Academy, graduating in 2022.
Previous pantomime credits at The Elgiva include Cinderella in Cinderella (2023), Princess Beauty in Sleeping Beauty (2022) and a dancer in Aladdin (2018).
Other stage credits include Princess Lily and Swing in Pop Princesses (UK Tour) 2024, Princess Rose and Cast Manager in Pop Princesses (The Viking Glory, Viking Line Ferries) 2024, Eleven, Swing, Movement Captain in Stranger Things The Experience: London (Troubadour Brent Cross) 2022.
Laura’s other credits include Tracy in In Temperance (Short Film) , Swing in The Howl (Immersive) 2023, Tilly in Good Luck Nelle (Short Film) and Alice in Alice In Wonderland (Immersive) 2023.
Laura wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a joyful, fulfilling 2025.
Carl Johns
Wishee Washee
It’s magical panto time again and Carl is delighted to be here playing the part of Wishee Washee in this year’s fantastic fun filled extravaganza, Aladdin.
Carl is no stranger to pantomime, this being his 30th and he has played myriad parts including Aladdin, Smee, Peter Pan, Muddles and Wishee Washee.
He said: “I love panto; it’s a magical time of year, and we are definitely going to have some fun this year with the fantastic cast of performers. I’ve been in five productions of Aladdin, and it’s always everyone’s favourite.”
Carl started his career as a dancer, becoming three times world freestyle champion; he went on to do stand-up comedy and presenting.
Carl has travelled the world as a guest presenter hosting numerous gameshows he has written for P&O cruises. If you holiday in the UK, you may have seen one of his gameshows like Let’s Get Quizical, Pants Or Prizes, Captain Clueless, Don’t Lose Your Head, Big Pound Runaround and many others at all the major UK holiday resorts. He has also written, produced, directed his own pantos and production shows including The Big Night Out and One Big Night.
Also he has toured UK theatres as a co-host in The Basil Brush Show and Otis The Aardvark.
Carl’s never been to The Elgiva before. “Everyone tells me it’s a great theatre so I’m really excited,” he told us. “Wishee Washee is a brilliant part to play in panto with loads of audience participation.
I’m hoping my family get a chance to come along, it will be my two-yearoold son’s first ever panto!”
Carl has three children; as well as his two-year-old old son, he has two teenagers – a daughter (14) and a son (16). Carl met his wife (who was also in the panto) in Northampton whilst playing Aladdin.
“It’s time to cheer and scream, boo and hiss, laugh, then laugh some more, have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy the show and remember… I SAY WISHEE…”
Paul Vates
Widow Twankey
Chesham-based Paul (he’s Chairman of the Chiltern Film Society) was born in Leeds and trained at East 15 Acting School. Over the years, he has done an awful lot of theatre, television, voiceovers and comedy. His stage work has included everything from pantomime to Ibsen, from a huge UK national tour as Postman Pat to a number of Shakespearean clowns – such as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Feste in Twelfth Night.
He was the superhero Mathsman for two award-winning BBC TV series of Megamaths.
As a voiceover artist he has recorded over 100 books for Calibre and Listening Books, specialising in comic and children’s literature.
Paul is a founding member of The E-Team and, whilst performing with them, was awarded the European Festival of Street Entertainers’ Award. Comedy and clowning have taken him around the world, seeing him appear in loads of crazy television commercials, as well as running workshops and performing at international festivals and events.
Skinwork (no, it’s not rude – just dressing up in costume) has allowed Paul to spend a season leading the England Football Teams onto the pitch before each game, appearing at dozens of film premières and scaring innocent bystanders as a range of Doctor Who characters – his favourite being a Cyberman. Plus many more…
Last year, Paul had an absolute ball playing Tess in The Elgiva’s Cinderella and can’t wait to be Widow Twankey this year. (Ohh, no he isn’t! Ohh, yes he is!!)
Nicola Blackman
Genie of the Ring
Nicola Blackman trained at Guildhall School of Speech and Drama.
Nicola’s theatre credits include Emergency Room (Criterion), City of Dreams (Esher Theatre), Romeo+Juliet, Little Women (both Storyhouse Chester) The Mousetrap (2022 St Martin’s Theatre – the first diverse ‘Mrs Boyle’), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (James Seabright Prods), The Suicide (Storyhouse), Beauty and the Beast (Theatre By The Lake), Thoroughly Modern Millie (No 1 tour), Just To Get Married (Finborough Theatre), Babe The Sheep Pig (Polka Theatre/No 1 tour), Shutters (Park Theatre, London), Snakes and Ladders (Arcola Theatre and UK tour), Treasure Island / The Borrowers / Tiger Tail / A Christmas Carol / Wind in the Willows (Nuffield Theatre Southampton), Romeo and Juliet (Stafford Shakespeare Festival), Funny Girl, (Revolution Theatre, New York), The Music Man (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre, West End), Animal Farm / Measure For Measure / The Pied Piper (National Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Destry Rides Again (Donmar Warehouse – nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress), Little Shop of Horrors (Comedy Theatre, West End), The Crucible (Leicester Haymarket Theatre) and Showboat (West End).
Nicola’s TV and film credits include EastEnders (BBC), Trollied (Sky), Madam Manhattan (Lead role in a pilot for MVD), Casualty (BBC), Killer Net (C4), The Bill (ITV) and Us Girls (BBC).
Pedro Papa D'Amour
Abanazar
Pedro trained at the University of Chichester Conservatoire, recently graduating from the (BA Hons) Musical Theatre Performance course.
Credits whilst training include Tiny Tom in Urinetown, Johnin The Clockmaker’s Daughter, Franklin Hart Jr in 9 to 5 and Robert Scholl in Scholl.
Pedro is thrilled to be making his professional debut in Aladdin and would like to thank his family and friends for their continued support.
Molly Mae Rogers
Genie of the Lamp
Molly Mae first stepped on stage at the Princess Theatre in Torquay at the tender age of 3 years old. Dressed up as Cinderella, she sang Twinkle, Twinkle under the spotlight with Buttons. This was the start of her love of theatre and especially pantomime!
Molly Mae has appeared in TOPS amateur dramatics production of Cats and almost made it to the stage in Chicago before the pandemic shut everything down the day before dress rehearsal. She also played So Shi and stood in last minute for the Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin in Torquay due to cast sickness.
Molly Mae has trained in Devon since she was two years old and is currently in her final year studying for a Musical Theatre degree at Wilkes Academy in Swindon.
Molly Mae has performed as both a junior and senior dancer over the past 10 years for New Pantomime Productions and is excited to join the cast in Chesham this year as Choreographer and the Genie of the Lamp.
The Dancers
Lead Dancers
Molly Mae Rogers
Niall Cregan
So Shi (Red Team)
Niomi Dias
So Shi (Yellow Team)
Zoe Sowerby
So Shi (Blue Team)
Elara Jagger
Red Seniors
Tilly Adams
Flo White
Caitlin Wildman-Craker
Isla Mellett
Yellow Seniors
Tilly Pollard
Olivia Cannon
Naomi Gillett
Chloe Parish
Blue Seniors
Elise Russell
Latika Parkes-Patel
Rebecca Taylor
Anna Whibley
Red Juniors
Olivia Booth
Elise Boundy
Bella Mellett
Betsy McMurray
Yellow Juniors
Amy Cloonan
Hollie Cloonan
Bella Newsome
Beverley Greensmith
Blue Juniors
Finn Ventress
Millie Howlett
Beatrice White
Sukey Cowan
The Crew
Musical Director
Drums
Director
Choreographer
Deputy Stage Manager
Wardrobe Supervisors
Head Chaperones
Mike Payne
Haydn Callow
Simon Barry
Molly Mae Rogers
Steve Urry
Gabrielle Moan & Megan Moan
Nina White & Vicky Howlett
For New Pantomime Productions Ltd
Production Manager
Licence Co-ordinator
Production Wardrobe
Production Choreographer
Production Co-ordinator
Paul ‘Bic’ Graham
Sammie Jane
Eileen Forrest
Ashley Johnson
Mikey Page
And thank you to our chaperones
Fiona Cannon
Jenny Greensmith
Kerrie Cloonan
Christine McMurray
Nicky Mellett
Nicky Adams
Melanie Nash
Aron Ventress
Andrea Ventress
Claire Booth
Rebecca Cracker
Kim Russel
Danielle Sandler
Helen Boundy
Jennifer Sowerby
