oh yes it is...
1980s
What was the best selling song in the 1980s?
1 - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - Band Aid
2 - "Relax"Frankie Goes to Hollywood - 1983
3 - "I Just Called to Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
Panto was thrilled to host a lineup of popular music stars from the 2010s. The audience was treated to an unforgettable night of music and entertainment at many locations across the country! Did you ever see one the stars below in panto?
Panto was thrilled to host a lineup of popular music stars from the 2010s. The audience was treated to an unforgettable night of music and entertainment at many locations across the country! Did you ever see one the stars below in panto?
Pop stars from the 1980s have become regular bookings in the panto world - with some taking the highest billing for many years.
Click a name to learn more...
Bucks Fizz
Bucks Fizz are an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up".
The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists:
Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston.
Cheryl Baker
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1987: Babes in the Wood - London Palladium
1989: Aladdin - Lewisham Theatre
1990: Cinderella - Alban Arena St Albans
1991: Cinderella - White Rock Theatre Hastings
1992: Robinson Crusoe - Grand Theatre Swansea
1993: Dick Whittington - Ashcroft Theatre Croydon
1995: Cinderella - Lewisham Theatre
2001: Jack and the Beanstalk - Civic Theatre Aylesbury
2003: Aladdin - Stag Theatre Sevenoaks
2014: Jack and the Beanstalk -Tower Theatre Folkestone
2015: The Wizard of Oz - Shaw Theatre London
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Cheryl Baker Q&A
recorded November 2020.
Jay Aston
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2004: Snow White - Camberley Theatre
2013: Cinderella - Dorking Halls
2019: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Queens Theatre Barnstaple
Video: Jay Aston's trailer for her 2019 panto Snow White
Bobby G
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1989: Aladdin - Weymouth Pavilion
1990: Aladdin - Wyvern Theatre in Swindon
1992: Aladdin - Floral Pavilion New Brighton
Mike Nolan
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1989: Aladdin - Weymouth Pavilion
1990: Aladdin - Kings Theatre Southsea
1991: Aladdin - Princess Theatre Torquay
1992: Aladdin - White Rock Theatre Hastings
1997: Dick Whittington - Weston Super Mare Playhouse
2001: Jack and the Beanstalk - Civic Theatre Aylesbury
2003: Jack and the Beanstalk - White Rock Hastings
2014: Jack and the Beanstalk - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
2015: Dick Whittington - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
2016: Cinderella - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
2017: Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
2019: Jack and the Beanstalk - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
2021: Dick Whittington - Tower Theatre, Folkestone
Darren Day
Darren started his career as part of a comedy cabaret trio when he was 17. He also worked as a Butlin's redcoat for a season. He later went solo and auditioned for BBC's talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1987 and appeared on the show in 1988, introduced by host Bob Monkhouse. He won several heats and came fourth in the final.
1989: Cinderella - Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
1990: Cinderella - Camberley Civic Hall
1992: Cinderella - Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa
1998: Cinderella - Palace Theatre, Manchester
1999: Dick Whittington - Richmond Theatre
2000: Cinderella - Royal & Derngate Theatre
2001: Cinderella - Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon
2002: Aladdin - Victoria Theatre, Halifax
2003: Cinderella - Empire Theatre, Sunderland
2004: Cinderella - Orchard Theatre, Dartford
2006: Jack and the Beanstalk - Forum Theatre Billingham
2007: Dick Whittington - The Lowry, Salford
2009: Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Forum Theatre Billingham
2010: Snow White - Rotherham Civic
2012: Peter Pan - Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering
2013: Beauty and the Beast - Kings Lynn
2016: Peter Pan - Bradford Alhambra
2017: Peter Pan - Hull, New Theatre
2018: Peter Pan - Royal & Derngate Northampton
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Following the end of the planned 2018/19 panto season for Darren he was called upon at short notice to step back into Captain Hook's shoes and take over the role at the Birmingham Hippodrome as Jimmy Osmond had suffered a stroke and was unable to continue with the run.
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2019: Peter Pan - Mayflower Theatre Southampton
2022: Peter Pan - Regent Theatre, Ipswich
2024/25: Peter Pan - Playhouse, Whitley Bay
2025/26: Dick Whittington - Gordon Craig Theatre, STEVENAGE
2026/27: Peter Pan - Civic, ROTHERHAM
Darren Day & Sophie Ladds take the panto Q&A
recorded November 2020.
Video: Curtan Call / Bows from Darren Day's 2018 panto at Royal & Derngate
Jason Donovan
Jason Sean Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap Neighbours, playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records.
Jason had been due to make his panto debut for the 2020/21 season but this was postponed by a year due to the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19
2021/22: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS - Birmingham Hippodrome
2022/23: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS - Southampton Mayflower
LISA STANSFIELD
best known for the hit PEOPLE HOLD ON and
ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
1983: Cinderella - Davenport Theatre
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow is a Scottish singer. He was the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet for 28 years: from their formation in 1982 until their split in 1997, and again from their reformation in 2004 to his departure in 2017.
2015/16: Aladdin -Birmingham Hippodrome
2016/17: Aladdin - SECC Clyde Auditorium
2017/18: Aladdin - Bristol Hippodrome
2018/19: Aladdin - Orchard Theatre, Dartford
2019/20: Peter Pan - Orchard Theatre, Dartford
2022/23: Dick Whittington - Birmingham Hippodrome
Video: Marti Pellow panto trailer from 2016
Video: Curtain call from Aladdin at the Bristol Hippodrome 2017
Sinitta
Sinitta Malone (born 19 October 1963), known mononymously as Sinitta, is a British singer, actress and television personality. She initially found commercial success in the mid-1980s with the single "So Macho" and had several other hits during the decade. In the 2000s, she became known for television appearances, including Loose Women, The Xtra Factor and This Morning. She took part in the ITV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2011.
1995: Aladdin - Cambridge Corn Exchange
1996: Aladdin - Mansfield Palace
1997: Aladdin - Wolverhampton Grand
Sonia Evans
Sonia Evans, known mononymously as Sonia, is an English pop singer from Liverpool.
She had a 1989 UK number one hit with "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" and became the first female UK artist to achieve five top 20 hit singles from one album.
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1995/96: Cinderella - Crewe Lyceum
1996/97: Dick Whittington - Neptune Theatre, Liverpool
1997/98: Cinderella - Floral Pavilion New Brighton
1998/99: Peter Pan - His Majestys Theatre Aberdeen
1999/00: Peter Pan - Grand Opera House Belfast
2000/01: Peter Pan - New Theatre Cardiff
2002/03: Peter Pan - Weston Super-Mare Playhouse
2003/04: Aladdin - Derby Assembly Rooms
2004/05: Aladdin - Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
2006/07: Jack and the Beanstalk - Capitol Theatre Horsham
2007/08: Jack and the Beanstalk - Horsham
2008/09: Sleeping Beauty - Pavilion Theatre Rhyl
2009/10: Cinderella - Anvil Theatre Basingstoke
2010/11: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Stiwt Theatre, Wrexham
2012/13: Cinderella - Liverpool Empire Theatre
2013/14: Jack and the Beanstalk - Floral Pavilion New Brighton
2014/15: Sleeping Beauty - Churchill Theatre Bromley
2015/16: Cinderella - Pavilion Theatre Rhyl
2016/17: Cinderella - Brindley Arts Centre Runcorn
