Jimmy Osmond will swap America for Aberdeen this Christmas when he joins the line-up for the annual panto at the city’s His Majesty’s Theatre.
The youngest member of the world-famous Osmond dynasty will make his Doric pantomime debut in this year’s production of Aladdin, playing the evil sorcerer Abanazar alongside the previously announced returning duo Alan McHugh and Jordan Young.
The superstar said: “I’m excited to get back to pantoland with my friends at Qdos Entertainment. This is my seventh panto, and my first time playing Abanazar and I can’t wait to team up with Alan and Jordan and put on a pantomime HMT audiences will love.
“I played the Music Hall with my brothers a few years ago so I’m looking forward to coming back and having more time to explore the city and enjoy a truly Scottish Christmas.”
APA chief executive Jane Spiers added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Jimmy heading up our fantastic pantomime as the wicked Abanazer. He is an internationally successful name with decades of show business experience and I’m sure he’ll have our audiences hissing and booing in all the right places!
“We’re also excited to welcome Alan and Jordan back to us. They are a comedy dream team and their timing is second to none, so expect plenty of belly laughs and a few more laughter lines. Alan, as well as being our wonderful Dame, is one of the best pantomime writers in the country and we are privileged to have his brains behind the script once more.”
Regular face Jordan Young will star as Aladdin, hell-bent on finding the magical lamp capable of granting three wishes, while Alan McHugh dons a frock and some lippie for his role as Widow Twankey.
As well as playing HMT’s beloved Dame, Alan is the treasured writer behind the city’s favourite pantomime, having penned the show for the past 13 years and played the dame for as many.
Meanwhile Jordan, who plays Alex McAllister in River City, is no stranger to raising laughs from his audience, having starred in BBC Scotland’s hilarious spoof comedy Scot Squad. Jordan has also appeared in the HMT panto for the past nine years.
In a career that has spanned four decades, Jimmy is the youngest member of The Osmonds, the American family music group who dominated the music industry in the 1970s.
With hits including One Bad Apple, Crazy Horses and Love Me for a Reason Jimmy also became the Guinness Book of Records’ youngest ever artist to achieve a UK number one single Long Haired Lover from Liverpool.
As a solo artist Jimmy has received six gold records, one platinum record and two gold albums.
Jimmy has appeared on several UK television shows including I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, All Star Family Fortunes, Celebrity Come Dine with Me, Popstar to Operastar and was a finalist in last year’s Celebrity Masterchef, during which he won the hearts of viewers across the country.
In addition to television work Jimmy has starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, tours of Chicago, Boogie Nights and Jimmy Osmond’s American Jukebox Show and various pantomimes across the UK. He still tours with his family, with The Osmond’s recently announcing a UK tour this autumn.
Aladdin will run at His Majesty’s Theatre from Saturday, December 2 – Sunday, January 7, 2018.
This year’s production is produced by Qdos Entertainment – the world’s biggest pantomime producer.
Tickets are available online from aberdeenperformingarts.com, in person at our Box Offices at HMT and The Lemon Tree, or by phone on (01224) 641122.