Shane Richie Will Star In DICK WHITTINGTON At The Bristol Hippodrome

The ultimate rags to riches story comes to Bristol Hippodrome this Christmas in the magical family pantomime Dick Whittington, led by soap-sensation and musical theatre star Shane Richie.

Bristol Hippodrome's panto will bring the set, costumes and staging previously seen in Qdos Entertainment's acclaimed production at the London Palladium to the City with a brand-new script. The much-loved story of Dick Whittington outwitting King Rat, winning Alice's hand in marriage and becoming Lord Mayor of London will be brought to life with comedy, spectacle, live music and plenty of audience participation.

Having established himself as one of the nation's favourite soap stars, Shane Richie has won numerous awards and millions of fans for his portrayal of Albert Square's loveable landlord Alfie Moon in EastEnders. The King of the East End will hear the familiar peel of Bow Bells starring as our hero Dick, seeking his fame and fortune on the rat-infested streets of London this festive season.

Shane's numerous television credits also include Oliver Twist, Skins, New Tricks, Minder and What We Did on Our Holidays. In addition to acting, Shane has also hosted a number of high-profile gameshows including the primetime lottery quiz Win Your Wish List and Decimate. He also starred in Redwater and Making Dad's Army for the BBC and Benidorm for ITV1.

On stage Shane has starred in a number of hugely successful productions including Danny Zuko in the West End production of Grease, which broke all box office records and Boogie Nights, which he co-wrote and co-produced on tour and in the West End. Shane regularly stars in pantomime for Qdos Entertainment and is currently starring as Hugo in the hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre.

Qdos Entertainment's managing director Michael Harrison explains "Following the amazing audience feedback we received about last year's production of Cinderella we wanted to make sure that this year's Bristol Hippodrome pantomime is even bigger and more magical than ever. The opportunity to once again bring our dazzling West End production values to the City was an opportunity we didn't want to miss. The stunning scenery and effects in our Dick Whittington production will be a perfect setting for Shane Richie to bring his unique high-energy comedy to the panto stage."

Jenny Hutchinson, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre Director says "Having secured the London Palladium set and staging, and a brand new script written exclusively for Shane Richie, we are delighted to be hosting Dick Whittington which will wow our Bristol audiences.

The bar was set high with the incredible season we had with award nominated Cinderella last year starring Brian and Gok, and producers QDOS Entertainment are making sure Bristol is once again thrilled throughout the festive season. We can't wait!"

Qdos Entertainment is the world's biggest pantomime producer, staging 35 shows in towns and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Dick Whittington plays from Saturday 7 December 2019 until Sunday 5 January 2020 replacing the previously advertised production of Robin Hood. All tickets previously purchased for Robin Hood remain valid for Dick Whittington.

For tickets and more information visit atgtickets.com/Bristol or call 0844 871 3012*.

More star casting will be announced later in the year.

Tickets from £13 - Price Promise applicable on all performances

*calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your company's access charge