TikTok star Kitty Harris will make a Grand return for Beauty and The Beast!

Blackpool Grand Theatre's legendary pantomime will roar back onto the stage this Christmas with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST from Friday 5 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026 - a high-octane festive spectacular bursting with musical numbers, glittering star power, jaw-dropping production values and the kind of top-tier talent rarely seen outside the West End!

This year’s all-star cast of TV bad boy Marc Baylis (Coronation St’s Rob Donovan), Britain’s Got Talent finalist and UK Pantomime Award Best Comic Steve Royle and original Funny Girl Betty Legs Diamond are thrilled to welcome TikTok and stage sensation KITTY HARRIS (Greatest Days, Chicago, Burlesque the Musical) as she returns to The Grand panto by popular demand after wowing Grand audiences last Christmas in Cinderella – who can forget her incredible Defying Gravity number? Kitty will once again be showcasing her incredible vocals, sparkling stage presence and infectious energy as the enchanting village girl Belle who has big dreams and an even bigger heart, and certainly doesn’t want to marry the outrageously egotistical Hugo who loves himself more than anyone else…

Kitty said of her Grand return: "Belle's story is full of magic and transformation - just like this show! Last year was amazing, but this year feels even more special. Being part of this cast, on The Grand stage with such an incredible production again truly feels like a dream come true. It's full of fun, music, and heart - you'll laugh, you'll sing along, and we promise you'll leave wanting to come back for more."

Leading the cast of Beauty and The Beast this year with show-stealing force is Marc Baylis - best known for his iconic role as Coronation Street’s ‘bad-boy’ Rob Donovan. As Hugo Pompidou, Baylis brings brooding charisma, thrilling danger and a magnetic intensity that promises to hold audiences spellbound! Also returning is Britain’s Got Talent finalist and Grand panto favourite Steve Royle who is the reigning UK Pantomime Awards ‘Best Comic’ and will be unleashing his signature storm of chaos, slapstick and side-splitting silliness that has made him a national treasure and local legend. Steve said of Kitty’s return: “I couldn’t be happier that Kitty’s back with us for another year, she absolutely smashed it in Cinderella and had the audience in the palm of her hand every night. Her voice is phenomenal, her energy is infectious, and she lights up the stage the moment she steps on it. The kids love her, the grown-ups love her and so do we... although between you and me, she sings so well she makes the rest of us sound like we’re in a karaoke bar! I can’t wait to cause more chaos together this Christmas; we’ve got some seriously daft stuff planned. Believe me, if you saw her last year, you’ll want to see her again. And if you didn’t - well, where were you? Don’t make the same mistake twice!”

Making a Grand debut in style this year is none other than the original Funny Girl, Betty Legs Diamond as Dame Polly La Plonk - a true Blackpool icon bringing a lifetime of cabaret and dance excellence to the Grand Panto stage in a role bursting with sass, sequins and high kicks. Expect fast-talking glamour, outrageous costumes and scene-stealing sparkle.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Kitty back - she’s joining what I genuinely believe is one of the most exceptional pantomime casts this theatre has ever seen,” said Andrew Howard - Head of Audiences, Marketing and Sales at Blackpool Grand Theatre. “This is a show that will deliver the quality of a major West End production, right here in Blackpool. With a brilliant script, next-level choreography and box office stars across the board, it’s simply unmissable. Tickets are already going fast – my advice, do not wait a minute longer. Book now!”

“This is not just a pantomime – it’s a full-scale theatrical spectacular,” added Martin Dodd, producer for UK Productions, who this year celebrates 30 years of producing the Grand Theatre’s much-loved pantomimes. “In three decades, we’ve delivered some unforgettable shows here, but I truly believe this is one of the best pantomime castings we’ve ever had. We’ve brought together a phenomenal line-up of stars, a world-class creative team and wrapped it all in a fresh, funny and fantastical script. If you only see one show this Christmas, make it this one.”

And this year’s pantomime from UK Productions is already breaking records for excitement, anticipation and demand, with almost 50% of seats already sold! Fresh from a UK Pantomime Awards nomination for Best Pantomime (over 900 seats) for last year’s Cinderella - one of the most prestigious honours in the industry – the exceptional Creative Team behind this year’s success will include Jon Monie, whose hilarious and heartfelt scriptwriting earned him the coveted Best Pantomime Script award for Beauty and the Beast at the UK Pantomime Awards; Kylie Butler, whose inspired vision for last year’s smash-hit Cinderella earned her a nomination for Best Director, and previous Best Choreography award winner Katie Hill, who will be delivering breathtaking, precision routines performed by elite dancers from the renowned Barbara Jackson Theatre Arts Centre.

Join Belle, Hugo Fairy Bon Bon, the exuberant Polly La Plonk and her cheeky chappie son Louis La Plonk as they are transported to a cursed castle and the home of a terrifying Beast, under the spell of an evil enchantress. Can the wicked Hugo be defeated, can Belle see beyond the Beast’s gruff exterior and fall in love with her captor, will the Beast’s cold heart be melted by Belle’s beauty and kind ways? Step into the spellbinding world of Beauty and the Beast to find out… It’s a magical festive treat for the whole family!

Beauty and The Beast the pantomime from UK Productions is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Friday 5 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026 starring TV bad boy Marc Baylis (Coronation St’s Rob Donovan) alongside Britain’s Got Talent finalist and UK Pantomime Award Best Comic Steve Royle, original Funny Girl Betty Legs Diamond and TikTok sensation and stage star Kitty Harris! More casting to be announced…

Tickets are selling fast with some performances already offering limited availability.

Please call the Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.uk for bookings and further information. Matinee and evening performances available. Recommended for ages 3+

• Audio-Described/Signed Performances on Sunday 14 December at 7pm and Sunday 28 December at 1pm.

• Relaxed ‘Chilled’ Performance on Sunday 28 December at 5pm.

You can also support the theatre’s Magic and Sparkle campaign, which helps children and families facing financial hardship also experience the joy of panto - Call 01253 290190 for more details.

LISTINGS

Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

Box Office 01253 290 190

blackpoolgrand.co.uk

Facebook - @blackpoolgrand

Twitter - @Grand_Theatre

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