Strictly Come Dancing star Kevin Clifton has confirmed he will be taking to the stage this month for a pantomime.
The professional dancer will be playing the villainous Abanazer in The Marlowe Theatre's festive production of Aladdin, from November 24.
For his panto debut, Kevin will be joined by West End stars Alistair So and Lauren Chia, as well as Ben Roddy, Phil Gallagher, Shannon Farrell and Zain Abrahams.
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Kevin took to Instagram earlier this week (November 13) to share the exciting news, saying: "In rehearsals now for what is going to be the best panto in the country! Get your tickets before we sell out!!!!!" alongside a teaser clip of the show.
"I'm absolutely over the moon to be returning to The Marlowe for Aladdin!" he previously said of the casting announcement. "This will be my first ever pantomime, and I'm so excited that I get to play the baddie! It'll be totally different from anything I've done before, and I can't wait to revel in all the boos and hisses.
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"After performing in Canterbury with Strictly Ballroom and Rock Of Ages, I knew I had to come back. Canterbury is going to be the perfect place to soak up the festive cheer! Get ready for some villainous dance moves and a whole lot of fun. Can't wait to see you there, Canterbury!"
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Ahead of treading the boards, Kevin recently returned to Strictly: It Takes Two to co-present the show's Choreography Corner, alternating with his sister and fellow dancer Joanne Clifton.
The pair appear on the spin off show to break down each of the current couple's performances from the previous weekend, before critiquing their upcoming dances from training room footage.
Kevin's return to It Takes Two follows his seven series stint on the dancing show — where he lifted the Glitterball Trophy with his now-girlfriend Stacey Dooley in 2018.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Tickets for Strictly's 2024 live arena tour are available now.
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Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
