Goldilocks and the Three Bears announced as this year's Palladium Panto

Breaking news from Baz in today's Mail is that Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be the panto at the  Palladium this year opening on 7th December for a five week run until  Sunday 12 January 2020.

The show will again be directed by  Michael Harrison (who also  produces with Qdos Entertainment boss Nick Thomas).  Unusually it will take place in a circus setting following Dame Betty Barnum and her daughter Goldilocks, whose circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner.

Casting news so far that Matt Baker, The One Show and Countryfile host, will play Joey the Clown  joining Paul O'Grady and Julian Clary who  take on the parts of the bad  and  good ringmasters respectively. Palladium regulars Gary Wilmot, Paul Zerdin and Nigel Havers are also returning as Dame Betty Barnum,  Silly Billy and  Daddy Bear respectively.

Several real circus acts have also been contracted,  including Denise Garcia-Sorta and Massimiliano Medini as the Skating Medinis, magician Phil Hitchcock, Sascha Williams' Rola Bola act (he was a hit on Britain's Got Talent) and Peter Pavlov's Globe of Death act.  Matt Baker was a Junior British gymnast and sports acrobatics champion so he may well be putting some of these skills into use.

The creative team will comprise choreography by Karen Bruce, set design by Ian Westbrook, costume design from a team including Hugh Durrant, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Gareth Owen and original music by Gary Hind

Public booking opens on Friday 31st May with final casting to be announced at a later date.