THE Grand Opera House in York is fielding veteran performer Anita Harris, plus Stuart Wade and Tom Owen, for its 16th annual panto, Cinderella.

Harris made her legitimate theatre debut in 1986 when she took the role of Grizabella in the West End production of Cats for a two years. Roles in Bell, Book and Candle; Deathtrap; Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners, Verdict and the stage dramatisations of House of Stairs and My Cousin Rachel followed. She portrayed Gertrude Lawrence in G and I in the spring of 2009 and Harris and Brian Capron starred in the UK national tour of Stepping Out. She toured with a new one-woman stage show: An Intimate Evening With Anita Harris last year.

The opera house is looking for junior dancers. Candidates will be auditioned in groups and taught a short dance routine. Those those should be available to attend all rehearsals. which start on Monday, November 24 – mainly after school and weekends. This is unpaid involvement in the pantomime.

Auditions will take place on Tuesday, September 23 at Grand Opera House, Cumberland Street, York, for those aged seven years and over. Auditions for younger ones will take place at 4.30pm for boys and girls with a maximum height of 5’2” and for seniors it’s 7pm and this time boys and girls will need to have a minimum height of 5’2”.

Cinderella will open on December 12 to January 4.

Tickets are £10 to £22.50. Box Office: 0844-871-3024 or atgtickets.com/york

SUNDERLAND Empire has just announced that Eastenders and Dancing On Ice star, Matt Lapinskas will join the cast as the Prince for this year’s production, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.

Lapinskas is best-known for playing Anthony Moon in Eastenders and was runner-up in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, skating all the way to last year's final. Ahead of pantomime season, he’s set to embark on a national tour of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat playing the role of Pharaoh from July to November.

Other stars announced for the Wearside panto run are stage and screen actress Su Pollard, who will take on the dastardly role of the Wicked Queen, alongside children’s TV favourite Andrew Agnew (PC Plum – Balamory) who will play Muddles the Jester .

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs runs from Friday, December 12 to Sunday, January 4.

Tickets are £10 to £22.50 Box Office: 0844-871-3024 or atgtickets.com/york