No phones, no bad news - just plenty of laughs and magic, is how actor Bonnie Langford has described the panto she will be starring in this Christmas.

She will join Lee Mead in the Churchill Theatre's production of Sleeping Beauty in Bromley, where she will play the Good Fairy and he will play The Prince.

At the official launch of the show, which also stars Claudillea Holloway as Sleeping Beauty, Myra Dubois as Carabosse and Lloyd Hollett as Muddles, she spoke of the fun panto could give audiences this year.

"You know that you’re going to get a great show," she said. "You know that you’re going to get value for money, and you know that it’s going to be a happy time. No phones, no bad news, just a magical fairy-tale for all the family. And great fun.

"We’ve got to laugh again and have fun and be a bit carefree and a bit careless and just enjoy two hours of not thinking about the real world.”

She joins the cast after reaching the final of the first series of The Masked Dancer on ITV as Squirrel.

She made her theatre debut in the West End at just seven and has become a musical theatre legend, including starring in the original London cast of Cats.

Holby City star Lee Mead, who shot to prominence after winning the BBC series Any Dream Will Do for the role of Joseph in 2007, played Ben 'Lofty' Chiltern in the soap until 2019.

He said: "I just love being in front of an audience. I’ve missed that connection and the energy you get from performing live; just making people happy and being a part of something where people can switch off for a couple of hours and enjoy themselves, I love that.”

He added: "There’s that sense of family you get with panto... People work hard for their money and it’s often an annual treat to have a trip to the theatre. It’s a big deal, so I really want them to have a good time.”

Sleeping Beauty will be at the Churchill Theatre from Saturday, December 4 to Sunday, January 2. To book tickets go to churchilltheatre.co.uk

See our full guide to pantos across Kent this Christmas here

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