HI ho, hi ho, it’s off to panto we go as Stevenage’s Gordon Craig Theatre presents a star-studded cast for family-favourite Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Lytton Way-based theatre will be encouraging the audience to grab their shovel and pick, make a wish in the wishing well and beware of poisoned apples when a new pantomine company takes up the reigns for this year’s offering, which hits the stage this weekend.

Produced by Jordan Productions - which has more than 15 years experience under their belts - the show will feature Sue Holderness as the Wicked Queen, known to millions of TV viewers as Marlene in Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass and playing Prince Simon of Sofaria will be Daniel Boys, who beat thousands of hopefuls to get through to the televised finals of the BBC’s Any Dream Will Do and has since appeared with John Barrowman on his national tour Music, Music, Music.

Back by popular demand is everyone’s favourite Dame, Paul Laidlaw. who has been treading the boards at the Gordon Craig for so long he can’t recall when it all began, but it’s been that long it’s now become something of a Christmas institution.

Joining Sue, Dan and Paul is Ashwell-born Katie Rowley-Jones, who comes straight from the West End to play Snow White, following a period in Sister Act at the London Palladium.

Completing the cast will be the ‘Magnificent Seven’, including Ray Griffiths, who will be playing Smiler, and Darren Horan, who will be playing Allergy, both fresh from entertaining multi-millionaire music mogul Simon Cowell on his birthday at the X Factor studios.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from this Saturday until Sunday, January 23.

Tickets, which range from �10.50 to �21 depending on the night, are now available from the Gordon Craig Theatre by calling 01438 363200 or visiting www.gordon-craig.co.uk