Stoke-on-Trent’s favourite panto trio Jonathan Wilkes, Christian Patterson and Kai Owen are reuniting for this year’s pantomime Dick Whittington.

Stoke favourite Jonathan Wilkes, who this year will celebrate 20 years since his first Regent Theatre panto, will lead the cast as Dick Whittington from Friday 13 December 2024 – Sunday 5 January 2025. Jonny will be reunited with Christian Patterson who will make a triumphant return to play Sarah the Cook and Kai Owen who returns to play King Rat. They will be joined by West End stars Gina Murray as Spirit of the Bells, Samara Casteallo as Alice Fitzwarren and Marlee Ferguson as Kitty Cat.

Dick Whittington will mark 20 years since Jonny’s first Regent Theatre panto, which was Mother Goose back in 2005. Jonny is no stranger to the stage. He has enjoyed a varied career including lead roles in Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls and Grease, and held hosting duties on You’ve Been Framed and Love on a Saturday Night on television.

Jonny Wilkes said: “I can’t believe Dick Whittington will mark 20 years since I first appeared in panto at the Regent Theatre! It’s been the greatest honor, and I can’t wait to celebrate with the best audiences in the world this Christmas. Dick Whittington will be a panto to remember!”

Christian Patterson returns for the first time since 2021 to star alongside Jonny in the stage partnership that has delighted Stoke audiences for many years. Having trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Christian’s extensive list of stage credits include The Woman in Black, Journey’s End and Oliver!.

Christian Patterson said: “I’m so excited to be back at The Regent Theatre this year in panto! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love Stoke, I love its people, I love The Regent, I love Jonny and Kai and I love pantomime! I cannot wait to be back on that stage making the ever-fantastic audiences grin from ear to ear.”

Kai is best known for his portrayal of Rhys in the worldwide hit series Torchwood created by Russell T Davies and Channel 4’s Hol/yoaks. Kai isa familiar face to Stoke-on-Trent audiences having appeared in several pantomimes on the Regent stage. Helping to bring the tale of Dick Whittington

to life, Kai will be playing the role of King Rat and bringing all his usual mischief and comedy to the stage.

Kai Owen said: “Absolutely chuffed to bits that ‘The Dream Team’ are well and truly back together! It’s such a privilege to be working alongside the best in the business with Jonny and Christian! I can’t wait, it’s going to be one sensational show!”

With amazing special effects, stunning sets and beautiful costumes direct from The London Palladium, Dick Whittington will be packed with all the traditional pantomime ingredients Stoke audiences know to expect and will take your whole family on a magical panto adventure like never before!

Join our hero Dick Whittington (and his trusty cat!) as he seeks fame, fortune and happiness journeying to become Lord Mayor. Can he outwit the evil rodent King Rat and free the city from his team of revolting rodents? Will true love prevail? Find out in the ultimate magical pantomime adventure!

JONATHAN WILKES

Dick Whittington

Jonathan Wilkes is an actor, musician, television presenter and theatre producer who has starred in hit UK musicals, concerts, and TV shows.

Born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, Jonathan won the prestigious Cameron Mackintosh Young Entertainer of the Year Award. This led Jonathan to become the youngest entertainer ever to headline his own show in Blackpool, which he did for three successful years. Jonathan went on to sign a record deal with Innocent Records, releasing his debut single Just Another Day in 2001, which hit the Top 5 in 18 countries worldwide. He did a range of impressive performances including playing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Television is also a prominent part of Jonathan’s career, having presented You’ve Been Framed, and a weekly guest appearance on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV). One of his most prominent achievements is having co-founded Soccer Aid, a charity football match which airs on ITV every year and has raised over £100 million for UNICEF to date.

Jonathan’s biggest passion, however, is for the stage; having been on the road with a series of successful musicals, including The Rocky Horror Show, Grease and Guys and Dolls. He also performs at the Regent Theatre pantomime in Stoke annually, which has seen record-breaking sales year­ after-year. Alongside Stephen Mulhern, Jonathan also created and produced several successful shows with P&O cruises, the most recent being their flagship magic and illusion show, Unbelievable.

Jonathan also runs his own full-time performing arts college, The Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts, alongside his wife Nikki, which introduces over 500 actors, singers, and dancers into the performance industry every year.

CHRISTIAN PATTERSON

Sarah, The Cook

Christian’s theatre credits include Pericles, Cymbeline, The Secret Garden (RSC), The American Clock (Old Vic), The Way of the World (Donmar Warehouse), Guys and Dolls (Donmar Warehouse and tour), My Country: A Work in Progress (National Theatre), The Rise and Fall of Little

Voice, Insignificance, All My Sons, Aristocrats, Rape of the Fair Country, G/engarry Glen Ross, As You Like It, Under Milk Wood (Theatre Clwyd), St Nicholas, Blackbird, The Dying of Today, Blasted (The Other Room), Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Journey’s End (West End/UK Tour), The Gondoliers, The Merchant of Venice, The Water Babies (Chichester Festival Theatre), Peggy’s

Song (National Theatre Wales) and One Man, Two Guv’nors (Torch Theatre).

His television credits include A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (ITV), My Lady Jane (Amazon), The Pact, In My Skin (BBC), The English, Why Don’t They Ask Evans?, Industry (HBO), The Accident (The Forge/Channel 4), Pride, Mr Selfridge (ITV) and Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of

Fire (Comedy Central/BBC).

Christians film credits include Mickey 17, Pride, I Know You Know and Malice in Wonderland.

He is an Associate Artist ofTheatr Clwyd and a founding member of Grand Ambition at Swansea Grand Theatre.

He is delighted to be donning the Dame’s frocks once more and returning to the Regent Theatre panto this year (a theatre he loves very much indeed!) and playing to the best audiences in the country! BRING IT ON!

KAI OWEN

King Rat

Kai was born and bred in Llanwrst North Wales. He trained at Mountview and is an associate actor at Theatr Clwyd.

His theatre credits include Hosts of Rebecca, Twelfth Night, Under Milk Wood, Song of the Earth, Rape of the Fair Country, The Secret, Wordfor Word, An Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Silas Marner, As You Like It, A Chorus of Disapproval, The Winslow Boy, Aristocrats, A Portrait of the Artist as Yoµng Dog, Mold Riots and Glengarry Glen Ross (all for Theatr Clwyd), The Tempest and Richard Ill (Stafford Castle), Blue Remembered Hills (Torch Theatre), A Life of Ryan and Ronnie (Sgript Cymru), Relatively Speaking (The Gatehouse), Ying Tong – A Walk With The Goons (West End), The Glee Club (Out Of Joint), and for two years Kai was ‘Dave1 in the record breaking UK production of The Full Monty.

Kai’s television credits include Rocketman, Fun at the Funeral Parlour, Casualty, Waterloo Road, Being Human, TheSyndicate, Doctors, Doc Martin and Out There.

In 2015 Kai was cast as ‘Pete’ on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks. He was involved in an extremely powerful storyline that along with support from the NSPCC gained great acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Kai plays ‘DI Matthews’ in the hit BBC drama Wolf, and he was last seen on our screens in the hugely impactful – Mr Bates Vs the Post Office.

Kai is best known for his portrayal of ‘Rhys’ in the worldwide hit series Torchwood created by Russell T Davies.

GINA MURRAY

Spirit of the Bells

Gina’s West End credits include Auntie/Fortune Teller in Sideshow in Concert (The London Palladium), Mama Morton in Chicago (Cambridge Theatre – also UK tour, South Korea, Singapore, China Tour), A Christmas Carol (Lyceum Theatre), Georgie Bukatinsky in The Full Monty (The Prince of Wales Theatre), Serena Katz in Fame (Cambridge Theatre), Claudette Orbison in The Roy Orbison Story (Trafalgar Studios) and Young Patsy Cline in Patsy Cline – The Musical (Trafalgar Studios).

Her screen credits include Lesley Stobbart in The Hunt for Raoul Moat (ITV), Myra Mallincourt

in Doctors (BBC), Shirley in Witless (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Judge John Deed (BBC), The Bill (ITV) and Jo in Sorted (Feature Film, Jovy Junior Enterprises).

Gina’s further stage credits include Velma van Tussle in Hairspray (UK tour), Mrs Swickert

in Plastered for MTFest (The Other Palace), Becca in Trio (New Wolsey Theatre), Starting Here, Starting Now (Waterloo East Theatre), May in The Accrington Pals (Fairfield Halls), Mary Marshall in Jihad The Musical (Jermyn Street Theatre), Clare in Fuddy Meers (Arts Theatre London), Gloria Kramer in One Touch of Venus (Kings Head Theatre), Chloe in Broken Journey (Kings Head Theatre), Ruby Tuesday in Carnaby St. (Arts Theatre London) Serena in Murder Mystery

Musical (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Ruby in Alfie (Palace Theatre, Watford).

Her Voice-Over credits include Computer Games – Ulma in Baldur’s Gate Ill (Larian

Studios), RoboCop: Rogue City, Yetka in Lords of the Fallen, Dubbing – Ulrika UK Voice in A Nearly Normal Family (Netflix), Audio Description for Fool Me Once (Netflix), Cartoons – Go Go (Toot Toot), Corey Carson and Starbeam (Netflix), Ada Twist Scientist (Netflix), Alice in Alice in

Wonderland, Summer Camp and Scary Larry. Gina has also done numerous Audio Books

including David Bowie: Hero by Lesley-Ann Jones. Search ‘Gina Murray’ on Amazon Audible for more.

Gina and her sister Mazz have just had an iTunes Country No.9 hit single with Gina’s own song ‘Dead Inside’.

SAMARA CASTEALLO

Alice Fitzwarren

Samara trained at CPA Studios.

Samara’s West End credits include Ensemble/Cover Minnie Fay & Ermengarde in Hello, Dolly! (The London Palladium), Niece in At Last, It’s Summer (The London Palladium), lkette, cover/played Tina Turner & Alline Bullock in Tina Turner the Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Ensemble/cover Mother Bear in Goldilocks & The Three Bears (The London Palladium) and Ensemble in Dreamgirls (Original London Cast, Savoy Theatre).

Her theatre credits include Ensemble/cover Billie Holiday in Sinatra (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Spirit of the Beans in Jack And The Beanstalk (Manchester Opera House), Nikki/Jackie Brown in Tarantino Live (Riverside Studios), Tinkerbell in The Pantomime Adventures Of Peter Pan (Manchester Opera House), Ensemble/cover Mrs Wormwood & Mrs Phelps in Matilda The

Musical (UK tour), Wrench, cover/played Pearl in Starlight Express (Bochum, Germany), Little Inez in

Hairspray (Leicester Curve), Little Red in Mother Goose (Hackney Empire), Tiger Lilly in Peter Pan (Lyceum Theatre, Crewe).

Samara’s workshops include Ensemble in Sweet Charity (Stephen Mear) and Ensemble in Crazy for You (Stephen Mear).

Her TV and film credits include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Royal Variety Show

with Matilda the Musical and Dancer for Helen Fischer Live in Germany.

Other credits include backing vocals for the Scissor Sisters, ‘Take Your Mama’ (The Brit Awards 2005) and for Tarique Woodling (The Indigo 02).

MARLEE JAY FERGUSON

Kitty Cat

Marlee Jay trained at Wilkes Academy on a three-year performing arts course. He recently was a lead dancer on Britain’s Got Talent.

Upon graduation, he made his debut in the touring production of Dreamgirls before going on to join the company of Disney’s Lion King.

He has danced all over the world and is thrilled to be returning for a second year at Stoke Regent Theatre as Tommy the Cat.