Est: 2016
PATRICK DUFFY - BOBBY EWING
At the height of his stardom Patrick Duffy commanded an audience of over 350 million across 56 countries as the youngest of the Ewing Brothers in the USA smash hit drama Dallas but that didn't mean he was too big to slap his thigh and take to the stage in panto. Patrick appeared in his only panto role to date for the 2006/7 season playing Baron Von Hardup in Cinderella in a First Family Entertainment production at the New Theatre Woking in Surrey alongside actress Susan
Hampshire and panto veteran Paul Zerdin.
Duffy said: "I'm delighted to be part of this great British tradition. What better way to spend Christmas than performing live to my fans in the UK?"
Duffy's character Bobby Ewing was killed off originally when the actor quit Dallas in 1985 but – in one of the most ridiculed
about-turns in the history of TV drama – was reinstated when he decided to return a year later. Bring on that famous shower
scene! An entire year's worth of episodes was simply written ofas having all just been a dream by Bobby's ex-wife Pam and
suddenly Bobby was back...talk about jumping the shark! Talking abut his panto experience Duffy said 'I loved doing panto, that the was the biggest education I had I think in my entire career. Larry Hagman (J.R. Ewing) was the only one who knew what panto was because he lived in England for so many years. Larry said "have you any idea how hard that is?", I said "it can't be hard we are just doing a fairytale", he just laughed at me. It was twelve shows a week and full blown productions. It was the most fun to have on stage because every night it was different, you had great latitude to play with the scene. All of those characters who do panto are real old soldiers in the business. If the opportunity and the time worked out I would be back there doing it again. This was the nearest to a job I have ever had in my life. Normally with a play you do you do eight shows a week at the most — that’s what I assumed that was the deal here. It wasn’t until I had already committed when they said: ‘No, no, we do two a day, six days a week’ I just love pantomime, it is so magical.
CHARLENE TILTON - LUCY EWING/COOPER
She was given the nickname 'poison dwarf' by UK broadcaster and Dallas fan Terry Wogan and was one of the most popular characters in Dallas, even making a return after a 3 year year break part way through the run. She was Lucy Ewing, the daughter of Gary and Val Ewing, always up to no good and very much under the wing of her Grandma Miss Ellie. Charlene also made an appearance in the Dallas spin off show Knots Landing playing the same character. In 2012 Dallas made it's big TV return following a 21 year absence but this meant that Charlene would have to pull out of her planned pantomime appearance for the 2012/13 season at the Grand Opera House in York where she had been due to appear in Sleeping Beauty. Emmerdale star Deena Payne was drafted in at short notice to take on her role. Charlene previously appeared in panto for the 2008/9 season appearing in Cinderella at the King's Theatre in Southsea opposite comedy legend Syd Little (of Little and Large fame) and Children's TV presenter Simon Grant. In 2012 she appeared in A Snow White Christmas as The Wicked Queen at the Pasadena Civic for Lythgoe Pantomimes.
LINDA GRAY - SUE-ELLEN EWING
The big Dallas revival of 2012 sadly did not last too long and after just 3 seasons the axe once again fell on the Texas based saga. On the plus side this did free up Dallas legend Linda Gray, better known as liquor swigger Sue-Ellen, to make her pantomime debut. From 1978-1989, again in 1991 and from 2012-2014 and not forgetting two Dallas TV movies, we cheered on Sue-Ellen as the underdog of the Ewing clan, the long suffering wife of dastardly J.R Ewing but for her panto role as the Fairy Godmother she was very much in control and donned her own Texas stetson that J.R would be proud of. Appearing in Cinderella at the New Wimbledon Theatre in London Linda appeared
alongside comedian Tim Vine, dance icon Wayne Sleep and panto veteran Matthew Kelly. Speaking of the axing of Dallas and her panto debut Linda said “I wish we could have done another 13 years but it’s a different world now and sure, I was disappointed. But isn’t this lovely that one door closes and another door opens and I get to do panto at last. My UK based agent kept telling about pantomime, which is not performed in America, he went on and on telling me about this tradition and I thought, ‘What a concept’. I love London so I thought it would be a wonderful experience. Everything was new to me. But it was so much fun and so charming. My costume was beyond gorgeous.”
In 2019 Linda reflected on her panto stint.....'Would I do pantomime again? No. I fell in love with the cast but it was gruelling. It was two shows a day. The reboot of Dallas had just been abruptly cancelled and I was invited to do panto — to go from Sue Ellen to the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella was an actor’s dream. I was very lucky. But at the end I was exhausted. I did it, loved it, and as you say over there, I’ve ticked that box.'
PRISCILLA PRESELEY - JENNA WADE/KREBBS
MORGAN FAIRCHILD - JENNA WADE
Christmas 2016 saw Morgan Fairchild star at the Pasadenna Playhouse (California, USA)for Lythgoe Family Entertainment as The Wicked Stepmother in A 'Cinderella Christmas'