Evolution Productions to Present SNOW WHITE, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, PETER PAN and More This Christmas

The UK's most successful family run pantomime production company, Evolution Productions has announced its line up of bespoke high quality Christmas shows for 2014. The company, which is run by husband and wife team, former TV presenter Paul Hendy and Oxford graduate and former cinema commercial production manager Emily Wood, will be presenting a lucky seven of the best pantomimes across the country from then end of November 2014 to mid-January 2015.

These comprise: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs starring Gareth Gates for The Ashcroft in Croydon, Sleeping Beauty starring Stephen Mulhern for The Hawthorne Crawley, Jack and The Beanstalk at The Octagon Yeovil, Steve McFadden in another Jack and The Beanstalk at The Arena in St Albans, Aladdin starring Scott Maslen at The Marlowe Canterbury, Peter Pan at The Theatre Severn Shrewsbury and Dick Whittington starring Samantha Womack at Sheffield Lyceum.

2014 is the tenth season for Evolution. Formed in 2005 by Emily and Paul Hendy, the company has built a reputation for superior, bespoke theatre shows with the emphasis on high quality production values, strong casting and genuinely funny scripts. They are extremely proud of the fact that in a recent Daily Mail report on the 'Top Ten Pantomimes in the Country', three of the shows were produced by Evolution. Very much a family business Evolution has maintained a close home-crafted relationship with all of its work providing it with an intimacy and friendliness that is often lacking in that of its competitors. Over the past decade Paul and Emily have produced shows in some of the best theatres in the country and they pride themselves on casting some of the nation's most talented performers including: Ade Edmondson, Nigel Havers, Stephen Mulhern, Gareth Gates, Larry Lamb, Steve McFadden, Samantha Womack, Shaun Williamson, Toyah Willcox, Phil Daniels, Ian 'H' Watkins, George Takei and Vanilla Ice

Emily read French and Italian literature at Oxford University and subsequently worked as a Production Manager for a company who made high-end cinema commercials. During this period she worked with esteemed British film director, Jonathan Glazer, on projects for Stella Artois, Levis and the famous Guinness ads, as well as his film Birth which starred Nicole Kidman. However, live theatre was always Emily's passion and producing pantomimes was perhaps a pre-destined fate for Kent-based Emily; her Great-grandfather toured Variety and Pierrot shows all over the country during the early 1900s, and her parents, who met while working for Alan Ayckbourn, are a theatrical producer and designer. 2005 she began Evolution Productions with her husband, Paul Hendy, and now produces seven pantomimes all over the country as well as hiring sets and costumes out to another six theatres. Today Evolution is very much a family business as Emily works alongside her mother and sister as well as her husband. She also juggles the huge demands of the business with having a young family. Her three beautiful children, Freddie, Poppy and Jago are proud owners of the Guinness World Record for the most pantomimes watched in one year.

Paul Hendy is a writer, director, producer, actor and TV presenter. For TV he presented The Disney Club, Don't Try This At Home with Davina McCall, Wheel of Fortune, the BAFTA nominated Dear Mr Barker and the cult classic Stash the Cash. His critically praised novels include Diary Of A C-List Celeb and Who Killed Simon Peters? Alongside a career in writing and television, Paul has always been passionate about pantomime. He has performed in twenty-five professional pantomimes, has written over fifty scripts, and for the last thirteen years has directed at least two major pantos a year. Paul has recently directed the national tour of the Olivier Award winning Eric Morecambe one-man play, Morecambe starring Bob Golding by Tim Whitnall which was a coproduction between Evolution and Feather Productions

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