Theatre Scotland’s very own editor, Lewis C. Baird, is stepping into Pantoland this year as writer and director on Stage Door Entertainment’s ‘Cinderella’, playing Portobello Town Hall from Tuesday 28th November till Saturday 30th December 2023.

“Bringing Pantomime back to Portobello is going to be a joyous process, bringing a new, yet very familiar, spin on the classic fairytale about the girl with a heart as pure as gold. We hope to bring hilarity, joy and magic to audiences this Christmas. Cinderella shall go to the ball in tremendous style!” -Lewis C. Baird (Writer & Director of ‘Cinderella’)

Today the cast for this exciting new production has been announced with many familiar local artists included in the line-up. The cast are as follows:

Nicola Alexander – Baroness Davina Hardup

Nicola trained at Queen Margaret University and graduated in 2021. She has appeared in many plays and musicals including Framework Theatre’s Burnout, and The Merchant of Venice in association with the RSC. Most recently she appeared as Maureen in Bare Productions’ RENT at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Theatre Credits Include: Maureen, RENT – Bare Productions; Ensemble, Burnout – Framework Theatre; Portia, The Merchant of Venice – Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Company in association with RSC; Performance Artist, Come Walk with Us – Johnnie Walker; Ensemble, Moonlight on Leith – REDCAP Theatre.

Amy Campbell – Cinderella

Amy graduated from the Glasgow Academy of Performing Arts in 2013. Since then, she has been performing and choreographing throughout the UK and Ireland. Mostly recently, Amy choreographed a Youth Production of Matilda and was awarded the Debbie Millar award for Choreography. Amy also performs as Baby Spic’ in Spiceworld the Tribute.

Credits Include: Liz, Sunshine on Leith – Falkirk Bohemians; Julie, Carousel & Judy, White Christmas – Broughty Ferry Amateur Operatic Society; Principal Dancer, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella & Snow White – RCK Productions, Dancer for S Club – Various Festivals; Dancer and Soloist – Dundee Rep Theatre.

Andrew Gardiner – Fairy Maggie

Andrew trained at Queen Margaret University. He was part of the team who opened Johnnie Walker’s global flagship experience in Edinburgh and is their Senior Performance Artist.

Theatre Credits Include: Shrek, Shrek the Musical – Edinburgh King’s Theatre; Hunter in [Title of Show]: A Digital Musical; Tom Collins, Rent – Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Squealer, George Orwell’s Animal Farm – Tour; Uncle Fester, The Addams Family Musical – Edinburgh Fringe Festival; the Lion, The Wizard of Oz – Lochgelly Centre. Panto Experience Includes: Dame Snoozy Suzy, Snow White – Lochgelly Centre; Genie, Aladdin & Dandini, Cinderella – Cupar Corn Exchange.

Ollie Hiemann – Dandini

Ollie is a Scottish born actor, currently based locally in Edinburgh. He recently graduated from the BA (Hons) Acting course at Arts University Bournemouth, where he starred in two brilliant pieces of new writing, portraying Reuben in Until The Sun Goes Down, and Monsieur Bonnin in Masque Macabre – a new musical written by Paul Knight and Crispin Harris.

Professional Theatre Credits Include: Juliet And Her Romeo & Brave Macbeth – Captivate Theatre.

Amateur Theatre Credits Include: Masque Macabre & Until The Sun Goes Down – Arts University Bournemouth; School of Rock, Sunshine on Leith, The Addams Family, Shrek: The Musical & Bugsy Malone – Captivate Theatre.

Harrison MacNeill – Wonky

Harrison has been acting for almost two decades – he started when he was 9! He “studied” at the University of Cambridge, but spent most of his student days enjoying the uni’s theatre scene, winning TAB Actor of the Year for 2015. Since graduating, he has been working as an actor and a writer, and, alongside Leo, his actual brother, he forms half of the comedy double act Them Is Brothers (@themisbrothers), who mounted their first Fringe production last year.

Theatre Credits Include: Impossible Engineering? – TWP; Lady of the Loch – Simply Surreal/Edinburgh Fringe; Trust Me Rolled Up Productions; Wasted – Strange Town/Rolled Up Productions; On the Run: Dame Over! – Them Is Brothers Comedy/Edinburgh Fringe; Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off – Bedlam Theatre; The Weir & Piranha Heights – CUADC; Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz & A Christmas Carol – Royal Lyceum Edinburgh.

Leo MacNeill – Stonky

Leo has been performing from the age of 12, when a role in a BBC Radio 4 play sparked his love for constantly seeking attention! Having whipped along to uni in sunny Newcastle upon Tyne, he got involved with the acting scene at the university, as well as in theatres around the city. Now back in his hometown of Edinburgh, Leo is an actor and writer, most regularly seen online and onstage as part of a double act with his brother, Harrison “Wonky” MacNeill. As Them is Brothers (@themisbrothers to you cool young things), the two were even heralded as “the start of a great Scottish comedy partnership” following their debut Fringe show in 2022.

Theatre Credits Include: Kes – Theatre Royal Nottingham/King’s Theatre Edinburgh; Starved State -NUTS/Newcastle Arts Centre; Funeral at the Funhouse NUSU; Beautiful Thing – NUTS/Cluny 2; 1984 – NUTS/Northern Stage; 40 Kola Comedy Rolla – Alphabetti Theatre; On the Run: Dame Over! – Them is Brothers Comedy.

Martin Mitchell – Prince Charming

Martin Mitchell is an actor and musician from Dunfermline, based in Edinburgh. Martin graduated from Edinburgh Napier University in 2022 with a BA (Hons) in Acting and English, and has continued acting since. Martin has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe with Captivate Theatre in Sunshine on Leith for two years, and is gearing up for his run in Oliver! as Bill Sykes with Stage Door Entertainment.

Laurie Scott – Buttons

Laurie trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Theatre credits include: Macbeth (an Undoing) – Royal Lyceum Theatre; Stand By – Scottish Theatre Producers; Square Go – Francesca Moody Productions; The Dark Carnival – Vanishing Point/Citizens Theatre; Death of a Salesman, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Spoiling, Monstrous Bodies & George’s Marvellous Medicine – Dundee Rep Theatre; Edward II & Antony and Cleopatra – Bard in the Botanics; Mother Goose & Bairns in the Wood – Howden Park Centre; Eric the Elf’s Chaotic Christmas – Macrobert Arts Centre; Class Act, Playwrights Studio – Traverse Theatre.

Laurie will be touring Macbeth (an Undoing) to London, New York and Edinburgh in Spring 2024.

Creative Directors of Stage Door Entertainment, Tommie Travers and Aidan O’Brien had this to say in regards to their first panto venture with their new company:

“Not only are we thrilled to be producing our first pantomime together, we also are excited to be staging it in partnership with Portobello Town Hall – a venue we’ve been eager to use for years. We know how much the community values a local production, and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it a Porty Panto to remember. To be a part of Portobello Town Halll’s new chapter is an absolute honour, and we can’t wait to see what great things we can achieve together.”

Tickets are now available for this fabulous new panto production here –

Website – www.portypanto.com
Telephone – 0131 314 2841