British ‘X Factor’ Winner Alexandra Burke To Terrorize Dawn French In London Palladium Panto

Baz Bamigboye
·2 min read

Alexandra Burke, singer, song-writer and British X-Factor winner, has signed on to play the villainess in this year’s London Palladium pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk.

Oh yes she has!

More from Deadline

Burke joins already announced stars Dawn French, Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Gary Wilmot. The panto runs at the Palladium from December 10 through January 15.

The Brits love their pantos at Christmas. Michael Harrison, who heads Crossroads Pantomimes, has turned the Palladium panto into a must-see event with spectacular sets and costumes, plenty of song and dance coupled with over-the-top jokes.

Last season Burke played Scheherazade — the Spirit of the Ring in Aladdin at the Opera House, Manchester.

”This year I’ve got Dawn as Jack’s mum and Alexandra as Mrs. Blunderbore, the giant’s wife. She’s the villainess and she’ll be terrorizing Dawn,” Harrison told Deadline.

Harrison revealed that Burke sees Mrs. Blunderbore as having “a Cruella flavour about her.”

He added: “She’s up for being the baddie but she’s in it for the laughs and to sing some sings.”

Harrison will write the Palladium panto in collaboration with Clary and French. “I’ll shuttle between the two of them until we get what we’re looking for. It’s about the jokes, really. We never rely too heavily on plot.”

One gag has already been set up. Havers will play King Nigel. “For the first time, Nigel’s a royal,” Harrison explained. ”As Julian says, I hope he keeps his Crown Jewels to himself.”

One day, Harrison said he’d like to take a version of the Palladium panto to Broadway. “To get a theatre just for Christmas though would be hard. We’ll see.”

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.

Recommended Stories