On the 24th May 2019 Qdos Entertainment today announced that Paul O’Grady was to return to the London Palladium in Goldilocks and the Three Bears to play The Evil Ringmaster.  The casr also comprises of Matt Baker as Joey the Clown, Julian Clary as The Ringmaster, Paul Zerdin as Silly Billy, Nigel Havers as Daddy Bear and Gary Wilmot as Dame Betty Barnum. 

Speciality acts appearing include internationally renowned illusionist Phil Hitchcock, The Skating Medini (Asia and Dylan Medini) - a dynamic high-speed roller-skating act from one of Italy’s oldest circus families, Sascha Williams - ‘Rola Bola’, from the Belli Family Circus in Germany and Europe’s youngest stunt rider Peter Pavlov and the ‘Globe of Speed’.

Performances begin at the London Palladium on Saturday 7 December 2019 for a strictly limited 5-week run until Sunday 12 January 2020.  Public booking opens on Friday 31 May 2019.  

Dame Betty Barnum and her daughter Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner and, with the help of their madcap circus friends, they’re battling to rescue their Big Top from ruin. Will they succeed? All seems lost, until three brilliant bears join the gang… Roll up, roll up to see panto join the circus, and be swept away by a London Palladium spectacular that’s just right at the home of pantomime!

Returning for the fourth year and once again produced by the Olivier award-winning team and directed by Michael Harrison, choreography will be by Karen Bruce, set design will be by Ian Westbrook, with a returning team of costume designers including Hugh Durrant, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Gareth Owen and original music by Gary Hind.

Best known as host of BBC Radio 2’s The Paul O’Grady Show and for helping rescue dogs in For the Love of Dogs - not to mention his acid-tongued creation Lily Savage – Paul O’Grady is returning to the London Palladium following his performance as The Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella, which reintroduced pantomime to the iconic venue in 2016.

Matt Baker who will make his Palladium Panto debut is best known on television as a presenter of The One Show and Countryfile on BBC1. Previously he presented Blue Peter and was a finalist on Strictly Come Dancing.  He has been seen on stage as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 

Julian Clary returns to the London Palladium for the fourth year having previously played The Man in the Mirror in last year’s Snow White at the London Palladium, The Spirit of the Bells in Dick Whittington and Dandini in Cinderella. 

Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin has previously appeared at the Palladium as Muddles in last year’s Snow White at the London Palladium, Idle Jack in Dick Whittington and as Buttons in Cinderella.

Nigel Havers played The Understudy in the 2019 production of Snow White at the London Palladium, Captain Nigel in Dick Whittingtonand Lord Chamberlain in Cinderella, all at the London Palladium.

Gary Wilmot’s played Mrs Crumble in last year’s Palladium pantomime Snow White at the London Palladium and was also seem in the previous year’s Dick Whittington.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears is produced by Nick Thomas and Michael Harrison for Qdos Entertainment. Nick Thomas is the founder and Chairman of Qdos Entertainment Group, one of the largest entertainment companies in Europe and is the UK’s second largest regional theatre and concert hall operator.  Michael Harrison has previously produced over 100 pantomimes for Qdos Entertainment where he is also Managing Director.  As a producer in the West End his credits include the imminent production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, Gypsy, The Bodyguard, Annie and Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.

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On 26th September 2019 further star casting was announced with Janine Duvitski added to the line up.

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Final casting was confirmed on 10th October 2019 with Sophie Isaccs confirmed as Goldilocks and Lauren Stroud as Baby Bear. The ensemble were also confirmed and cast shots in character and the official poster was finally released.