Kulvinder Ghir Leads DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT At Lyric Hammersmith Nov 27

The streets of Hammersmith are paved with gold this Christmas as traditional pantomime returns to the Lyric following last year's hugely popular Jack and the Beanstalk. Steve Marmion returns bringing together the finest creative team, an exceptional cast and local talent to direct Joel Horwood & Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's Dick Whittington and his Cat previewing from 27 November 2010 and playing until 08 January 2011.

Dick Whittington, a Gloucestershire lad with big dreams journeys to London with his cool Cat
in search of fame and fortune; but first he must overcome the very evil King Rat. In a glitter filled festive feast Dick Whittington and his Cat are joined by a cake-loving Bollywood Prince, our heroine feisty Alice and of course Hammersmith's Panto Dame, the delightfully delectable Sarah the Cook. This years pantomime will be an entertainment extravaganza filled for the whole family.

Dick Whittington and his Cat stars Kulvinder Ghir as the Bollywood Prince (Comedians, Lyric Hammersmith and the popular sketch show Goodness Gracious Me); Rosalind James as Alice (Les Miserables, Barbican and Gone with the Wind, New London); Simon Kunz as the villainous King Rat (Comedians, Lyric Hammersmith and Blood and Gifts, National Theatre); Paul J Medford as The Cat (Sweet Charity, Theatre Royal Haymarket and the originAl West End cast of Five Guys Named Moe); Shaun Prendergast as The Dame, Sarah the Cook (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Vaudeville and The Bleak Midwinter and Frankenstein for Kenneth Branagh's Theatre Company) and Steven Webb as Dick Whittington (Departure Lounge, Waterloo East Theatre and E4's The Inbetweeners).

Written by Joel Horwood & Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Conceived & Directed by Steve Marmion
Designed by Tom Scutt
Lighting by David Holmes
Music by Tom Mills
Sound by Nick Manning
Choreography by Lainie Baird

FREE First Nights (FFN)

As part of the Lyric Hammersmith's commitment to its home borough, anyone who lives or works in Hammersmith and Fulham can claim four free tickets to see Dick Whittington and his Cat on Saturday 27 November, 7pm. People just need to come to the Ticket Office with proof of their home or work address, on either the Friday or Saturday before the FFN to pick up their free tickets. The Lyric runs FFN for all Lyric main house shows.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Amy Belson, Lyric Hammersmith Press Manager: amy.belson@lyric.co.uk / 020 8741 6870

Listings Information
Dick Whittington and his Cat

Written by Joel Horwood & Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

Conceived & Directed by Steve Marmion

Lyric Hammersmith

Dates Saturday 27 November 2010 - Saturday 08 January 2011

Times vary please visit our website for a full schedule

Tickets £10 - £25 / Under 16s £10 / Family Tickets £50

Bookings 0871 22 117 22 / www.lyric.co.uk

Creative team biographies
Joel Horwood is one of the UK's most exciting young writers. He has been a member of the Royal Court/BBC 50 scheme and on attachment at Hampstead Theatre and the National Theatre Studio. Last year Horwood co-wrote the Lyric's first panto in 30 years Jack and the Beanstalk. His ingenious adaptation of Dumas's epic novel The Count of Monte Cristo opened on the main stage of the West Yorkshire Playhouse in May 2010. Horwood is currently under commission with Paines Plough and Northampton Royal and Derngate. He is also writing for Cowboy Films/Channel 4 and Ecosse Films. Horwood's other plays include Is Everyone Ok? (UK tour); Beyond the Frontline (The Lowry, Manchester); he was part of the writing team for Suddenlossofdignity.com (Bush Theatre); All the Little Things We Crushed (Almeida); I Caught Crabs in Walberswick (Pleasance, Edinburgh and The Bush). Horwood made his debut with Mikey the Pikey, which won the Cameron Mackintosh Award at The Edinburgh Festival in 2005.

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is a comedy writer, performer and playwright. She was selected for the prestigious 2008-09 BBC College of Comedy, following the success of the television series School of Comedy for E4 and Hotel Trubble for CBBC. Malcolm was a member of the writing team for the Lyric's 2009 panto Jack and the Beanstalk, her other plays include Leo and Lisa, a commissioned piece for Kevin Spacey at the IWC Schaffhausen gala event in Geneva (2007); 50 Ways to leave your Lover and Suddenlossofdignity.com (Bush Theatre). Morgan is also a founding member of the cult comedy group Trippplicate (shows include Thirteen o'clock, The Receptionists and Time Trippers...). She has just completed an attachment for the National Theatre's Studio and is co-writing a play for the Old Vic's Platforms community project, to be performed in the tunnels.

Director Steve Marmion has recently been appointed Artistic Director at Soho Theatre. His recent directing credits include Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith); Macbeth (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre); Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness (Headlong Theatre); the critically acclaimed successes Vincent River in New York, Only the Brave in Edinburgh (nominated for Best New Musical and Best New Music) and Metropolis in Bath. He also transferred Rupert Goold's Macbeth to Broadway. He was previously Associate Director at the RSC for two years from 2006-07. Further work includes productions at the National Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Soho Theatre, The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, Watford Palace Theatre and various tours.