PANTO SEASON: Anita Dobson Announced As Guest Star For New Wimbledon's ALADDIN

New Wimbledon Theatre is delighted to announce its final Celebrity Guest Star Anita Dobson is officially set to join Ruby Wax, Pamela Anderson and Paul O'Grady in sharing the role of the Genie of the Lamp in the forthcoming pantomime spectacular ALADDIN - the pantomime that everyone is talking about!

Perhaps best-known for her role as the tempestuous Angie Watts, the first ever landlady of the Queen Vic Pub in Walford on BBC's Eastenders in the 1980s, Anita Dobson has gone on to work across television in the UK in various programmes including Casualty, Holby City and Hotel Babylon. She is also no stranger to the stage having performed in the title role in the recent UK tour of Hello, Dolly! and in the West End in Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hamlet and Three Sisters at the Royal Court. Anita was most recently seen baring all in Calendar Girls, the West End stage incarnation of the film of the same name.

Anita Dobson said: "Panto is such a great British tradition, and so important for young children to experience the magic of live theatre for the first time and I'm honoured to have been asked to be a part of that. I was taken to my first pantomime by my family when I was just four years old, and - as is often the case - it began a life-long love of theatre."

Kevin Wood, Chief Executive of First Family Entertainment said: "I'm thrilled that Anita will be joining the company of Aladdin. Not only is she a wonderful actress, she is also a panto stalwart and we're delighted that she will be part of pantomime history and appearing as one of our fabulous guest stars."

Brian Blessed leads the rest of Aladdin's fabulous cast which includes Ashley Day as Aladdin who played Troy Bolton to great acclaim on the recent UK tour of High School Musical and is joined by Daniel Sloss as Wishee Washee and Leila Benn Harris as the Princess. They are joined by Jonathan D Ellis as Widow Twankey, Djalenga Scott as the Slave of the Ring, Sam Bradshaw as the Chinese Policemen and Ian Talbot as the Emperor, who will also direct.

With the line up of London's biggest panto now complete, and with the curtain ready to rise in just three weeks time, make tickets for Aladdin at New Wimbledon Theatre one of your three wishes this Christmas.