The man once known best as Lily Savage, Paul O’Grady, will once again slip on a dress or two when he plays the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella at the London Palladium this Christmas.
The chat show host is joined in the high profile cast by comedians Julian Clary (Dandini) and Count Arthur Strong (Baron Hardup), ventriloquist and America’s Got Talent winner Paul Zerdin (Buttons), and actors Lee Mead (Prince Charming) and Nigel Havers (Lord Chamberlain).
The six stars are the first of the 32-strong seasonal cast to be announced. The performers taking the pivotal roles of the Ugly Sisters, Fairy Godmother and the titular heroine are still being kept under wraps.
Christmas favourite Cinderella is a classic rags to riches tales, as the bullied, put-upon, unloved heroine of the tale uses a dash of magic to make it to a glamorous ball and meet her Prince Charming.
The star-studded panto, which promises to be the most extravagant seasonal speciality the West End has seen in recent years, will run for five weeks only over the festive season. It plays at the iconic London venue from 9 December to 15 January.