You shall go to the ball!

Jonny and pals vow to 'raise the bar' for Regent's Cinderella

- Yasmin Sarwar

MAGIC, chaos, a classic story and, er, toilet rolls can mean only one thing - this year's panto stars are getting ready to entertain Potteries theatregoers again.

The parts have all been cast - headed by the institution that is Jonathan Wilkes - for this year's Regent take on Cinderella, and they can't wait to see rows of smiling faces come December.

For now, the cast are getting ready to learn their lines and hone their roles to perfection.

Jonny, who plays Buttons, is joined by former Hollyoaks star Kai Owen as Dandini, Kirsty Ingram as Cinderella, Rhiane Drummond as the Fairy Godmother, and Ben Oakley as Prince Charming.

They've all performed in West End musicals and are looking forward to what they describe as 'a pint of Christmas fun!

Jonny, who is treading the boards in a Regent show for the 19th time - and in his fifth Cinderella since his Regent debut in 2005/06 - is clear about what he wants to achieve.

"We have to beat the bar we set last year for Dick Whittington," he said. "The first thing is a brilliant cast, and we've got amazing West End performers, including Ben who's currently performing in Les Miserables at the West End. From the minute I met Kirsty and Rhian I knew they'd adopt the Stokie ways.