Beacon Arts Centre Reveals Cast Of Sleeping Beauty Panto 2025
Beacon Arts Centre panto Sleeping Beauty 2025 (Image: Christopher Bowen)
The cast for this year's Beacon pantomime has been revealed, with Bowman Rebecchi proud to continue with its sponsorship of the show.
The 2025 Christmas extravaganza will feature fan favourites Jane McCarry, Mark Cox, Lee Samuel, Jimmy Chisholm, and Shannon Swan in a spellbinding production of Sleeping Beauty.
Jane stars as Carabosse, Mark is Slimeball, Jimmy will be Dame Nellie McDuff, Lee stars as Muggles McDuff, and Shannon plays Aurora.
The show is written by Alan McHugh, directed by Tony Cownie, and produced by Lesley Davidson and Karen Townsend. Sleeping Beauty will be Tony Cownie's first experience of directing a Beacon panto.
The 64-year-old renowned actor and director said the panto will be based on the familiar fairytale but will have a few surprises along the way.
He added: "We have our core cast of Jane, Mark, Lee, Jimmy, and Shannon who are fantastic.
"They always feel like they're coming home for Christmas when they're in panto at the Beacon."
Tony has been working with writer Alan McHugh to make sure this year's festive frolic will be perfect for Inverclyde.
Tony added: "We have to think about how we can utilise the cast and add things that are specific to Inverclyde."
"We know the cast well and we know what will suit them best."
Tony studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) – and one of his classmates was actor John Hannah.
He moved into directing in 1999 with a show called Shanghaied by Liz Lochhead, and started directing pantos in 2006.
Over almost 20 years, he has directed pantos at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, working with Elaine C Smith and the late Gerard Kelly, in Aberdeen, at the SEC Armadillo, and at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh.
Tony said panto in Scotland is based on the music hall tradition. He added: "It's much more family-friendly in Scotland.
"You have to have jokes in there that can be enjoyed by a younger audience.
"In England, panto is much more influenced by stand-up comics."
Tony said Beacon directors Lesley Davidson and Karen Townsend are bringing a whole new audience into the Beacon with the arts centre's varied programme.
He said that panto will always be a great way to reach people and get them through the door.
Tony added: "People who come to see the panto always come back and that's a great thing.
"It's always a lovely audience and it's the most supportive audience you will get all year.
"It's great to see families enjoying themselves, and it brings generations of people together."
This article appeared in the Greenock Telegraph.