top of page
Est: 2016
Vanessa Downing (Pippa Fletcher 1988 - 1990)
1990/91 Sleeping Beauty - Orchard Theatre, Dartford
1991/92 - Cinderella - Towngate Theatre Basildon
Vanessa was the first actress to appear on screen as Pippa although parts of the pilot had already been filmed with a different actress in the role (Carole Willessee), when she pulled out due to scheduling difficulties Vanessa was hired at short notice and had to re-film those scenes. Vanessa appeared from the Pilot episode in 1988 through to 1990 when Debra Lawrence took over the role.
Listen to Vanessa performing the song 'Living in Summer Bay' here with her co-star Alex Papps (Frank Morgan) as featured in the series
home-and-away-the-music-living-in-summer
00:00 / 01:39
Roger Oakley Tom Fletcher 1988 - 1990 & 2008)
1990/91 Sleeping Beauty - Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Greg Benson (Matt Wilson 1988 - 1991 & 2002)
1990/91 - Aladdin - Theatre Royal Hanley
1992/93 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - The Dome, Brighton
Greg made his first appearance in the pilot episode where he was simply credited as 'surfer'. He was later promoted to a series regular where he stayed until 1991.
Nicolle Dickson (Bobby Simpson / Morgan / Marshall 1988 - 1993 & 1995)
1991/92 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Sunderland Empire
1992/93 - Aladdin - Central Theatre Chatham
1993/94 - Cinderella - Sands Centre Carlisle
Nicolle made her first appearance in the pilot episode but in an effort not to spoil the story line she was deliberately not included in the opening title sequence until the first proper episode. 2 years after her onscreen death Nicolle returned to the series in a guest stint appearing as the ghost of Bobby.
Kate Ritchie (Sally Fletcher / Copeland / Keating 1988 - 2008 & 2013)
1993/94 - Aladdin - Sunderland Empire
1999/00 - Sleeping Beauty - Newcastle Tyne Theatre
2000/01 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Ashcroft Theatre Croydon
2001/02 - Dick Whittington - Southampton Mayflower
Kate made her first appearance in the pilot episode
Justine Clarke (Roo Stewart / Morgan 1988 - 1989)
1989/90 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Barking Assembly Hall
Justine made her first appearance in episode 3. After she departed the series in 1989 the producers tried on several occasions to lure her back for guest stints but Justine never accepted. Finally accepting that Justine would never return the part was recast to Georgie Parker.
Justine made her only panto appearance in 1989 starring along her screen father Alf, as played by Ray Meagher who was also making his pantomime debut.
Fiona Spence (Celia Stewart 1988 - 1990 & 2002, 2005, 2012-13)
1990/91 - Aladdin - Theatre Royal Hanley
1991/92 - Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - Theatre Royal Hanley
Fiona made her debut on Home and Away during episode 7 despite being credited in the closing titles from episode 1. On UK screens Fiona was appearing at the same time on Prisoner Cell Block H and Home Away despite the shows being filmed years apart.
Ray Meagher (Alf Stewart 1988 - present)
1989/90 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Barking Assembly Hall
1992/93 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Wimbledon
1993/94 - Aladdin - New Victoria Woking
1994/95 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Birmingham Hippodrome
1995/96 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Southampton Mayflower
1997/97 - Cinderella - Festival Theatre Chichester
1998/99 - Cinderella - Cliffs Pavilion Southend
1999/00 - Peter Pan - Grand Opera House Belfast
2001/02 - Cinderella - Civic Darlington
2002/03 - Peter Pan - Llandudno
2004/05 - Dick Whittington - Palace Theatre Mansfield
2005/06 - Aladdin - Bournemouth Pavilion
2006/07 - Dick Whittington - Grand Theatre Blackpool
2007/08 - Dick Whittington - Swansea Grand
2008/09 - Aladdin - Anvil Theatre, Basingstoke
2009/10 - Peter Pan - Assembly Room, Tunbridge Wells
Ray first appeared in the pilot episode of Home and Away
In the below video clip from Ray Meagher's 2022 This is Your Life he talks briefly about his time in panto and receives messages from his previous panto co-stars Su Pollard and Bobby Davro
Alex Papps (Frank Morgan 1988 - 1989 & 1991 - 1992 & 2000, 2002)
1991/92 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Sunderland Empire
1992/93 - Cinderella - Sunderland Empire
1993/94 - Cinderella - Sands Centre, Carlisle
Alex first appeared on the pilot episode of Home and Away
Judy Nunn (Ailsa Hogan / Stewart 1988 -2000, 2002 - 2003)
2001/02 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Fernham Hall, Fareham
Two years after her onscreen death Judy returned to Home and Away playing a vision of his late wife that Alf was seeing due to a brain tumour.
The role of Ailsa was temporarily recast during 2000 to Nancye Hayes due to Judy taking sick leave.
Peter Vroom (Lance Smart 1988 - 1990, guest appearances 2000 - 2006)
1990/91 Cinderella - Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells
1991/92 Babes in the Wood - Weymouth Pavilion
Cornelia Frances (Morag Bellingham 1988 - 1989, 1993 - 2017)
1990/91 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Cliffs Pavilion Southend
1991/92 - Dick Whittington - Rhyl Pavilion
Cornelia passed away in 2018 aged 77 following a battle with bladder cancer
Frank Lloyd (Neville McPhee 1988 - 1989)
1956/57 Peter Pan - Princess Theatre, Melbourne (Australia)
1957/58 Jack and Jill - Princess Theatre, Melbourne (Australia)
1958/59 Aladdin - Princess Theatre, Melbourne (Australia)
1970/71 Dick Whittington - Parade Theatre, Kensington, NSW (Australia)
1985 Jack and Jull - Tivoli Theatre, Sydney (Australia)
Lyn Collingwood (Colleen Smart 1988 - 2013)
1981/82 Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Philip Street Theatre, Sydney (Australia)
Mat Stevenson (Adam Cameron 1989 - 1994 & 1999 )
1991/92 - Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - Leicester
1993/94 - Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - Barnsley Civic
Emily Symons (Marilyn Chambers / Bryant / Fisher 1989 - 1992, 1995 - 1999, 2001, 2010 - present )
1991/92 - Cinderella - Oxford Apollo
1992/93 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Bristol Hippodrome
1993/94 - Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - New Theatre Cardiff
1997/98 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Birmingham Hippodrome
1998/99 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Southampton Mayflower
Debra Lawrance (Pippa Fletcher/Ross 1990 - 2009)
Debra met her real life husband Dennis Coard when he was cast as Pippa's on screen love interest Michael Ross
1995/96 - Cinderella - Assembly Rooms Tunbridge Wells
Dennis Coard (Michael Ross 1990 - 1996)
1991/92 - Pinocchio - City Varieties, Leeds
1995/96 - Cinderella - Assembly Rooms Tunbridge Wells
Rebekah Elmaloglou (Sophie Simpson 1990 - 1993, 2002- 2003, 2005)
1992/93 - Cinderella - Sunderland Empire
1993/94 - Aladdin - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
1994/95 - Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - Inverness
Craig McLachlan (Grant Mitchell 1990 - 1991)
2008/09 - Cinderella - Mayflower Theatre Southampton
