Cambridge Arts Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast of this year’s spectacular family pantomime, Aladdin.

Leading the cast is West End actor, Rachel Lumberg, who stars as the empress. With extensive theatre, television and film credits to her name, Lumberg’s most recent role was Auntie Annie in the National Theatre’s production of East is East. Other theatre credits include The Full Monty, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice - both in the West End - and a UK tour of Calendar Girls.

Television, film and West End actor Rolan Bell transforms into Cambridge’s most dastardly villain, Abanazar.

Previously appearing in Cambridge Arts Theatre pantomimes between 2011 and 2013, Bell’s subsequent roles include Theo Kelly in EastEnders and Sergeant King (Kingy) in BBC One’s hit TV Drama Our Girl, opposite Michelle Keegan.

Returning for his sixteenth Arts Theatre pantomime is Cambridge’s number one dame Matt Crosby as Widow Twankey. Crosby’s pantomime roles at the Arts Theatre include Dame Trott in 2020’s Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver and Ugly Sister opposite Wayne Sleep in 2019’s Cinderella

Carl Au stars in the title role of Aladdin. Best known for his role as Barry Barry in Waterloo Road, Au’s other credits include Cilla the Musical and South Pacific at Chichester Festival Theatre.

Actor and dancer Jak Allen-Anderson stars as the Genie.. Completing the principal cast is Megan-Hollie Robertson as Princess Poppy.

Aladdin is directed by Michael Gattrell and is written by Al Lockhart-Morley, Cambridge Arts Theatre’s resident pantomime writer since 2014.

In 2020, Cambridge Arts Theatre defied all odds and celebrated sparkling success with Dame Trott’s Panto Palaver, a socially-distanced panto adventure, welcoming thousands of Cambridgeshire families before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure.

This year’s pantomime is back to a full-scale production, brimming with singalong songs, sparkling costumes and side-splitting jokes, Aladdin opens on Thursday, December 2, 2021, and runs until Sunday, January 9, 2022. For more information and ticket prices visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com