Wizard show comes to town

Nov 27 2008 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

THE magic of pantomime returns to North Lanarkshire with a brand new production of a classic family treat.

Tap your red shoes together and follow the yellow brick road to Motherwell Theatre for a wizard adventure in Pantoland.

From the producers of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' and 'Cinderella', 'The Wizard of Oz' retells the magical story of Dorothy and Toto - with lots of panto fun along the way.

The show started on Monday of this week and will run until Sunday, January 4, 2009.

The cast includes Andy Fleming as the Scarecrow, Zoe Chatterton as Dorothy, Neal Hutton as the Lion, David Jonathan as the Tin Man, Tania Foley as the Wicked Witch, Kathleen Kieran as the Good Witch and Alan Mehdizadeh as the Wizard.

Andrew, who will play the Scarecrow, was born into a theatrical clan of operatic singers, painters, puppeteers, exotic music hall dancers, actors and clowns.

His strong singing voice and gift of mimicry has led him from TV’s The Big Breakfast to stage acting in roles like Fagin, Professor Higgins, Joseph and Frank Sinatra.

David, who plays the Tin Man, has worked internationally as an actor, director and musical director.

He appeared in London revivals of ‘The Fantasticks’ and ‘How to Succeed in Business’.

Kathleen, who will play The Good Witch, has just completed her HND in Musical Theatre at Motherwell College and is delighted to be making her professional debut in ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

Zoe Chatterton says playing Dorothy is a dream come true for her as she has been a fan of Judy Garland since she was five years old.

With a Masters degree in Musical Theatre and a BA (hons) in Acting, Zoe was the first student at RSAMD to receive The Ian Fleming Music Award from The Musicians Benevolent Fund.

Tania Foley, who will play the Wicked Witch, is in a show in Motherwell for the first time and she’s really excited about the production.

Alan Mehdizadeh will play The Wizard in his debut professional panto and couldn't be happier to be in Motherwell.

Playing Toto is Sam, an eight-year-old black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Motherwell.

Tickets for the show range from £9.50 to £11 and discounts are available for groups of six or more.

Tickets are going fast, with over 24,000 already sold.

To make sure of yours, book now by calling the advance booking line on 01698 403120, or visit Motherwell Concert Hall and Theatre or any North Lanarkshire library.