Gareth Gates, Lisa Riley, Doreen Tipton and more: Stars shimmy down beanstalk for Wolverhampton Grand's panto launch - with pictures

Familiar faces and much-loved stars gathered at Wolverhampton’s Mount Hotel in Tettenhall, on Thursday to officially launch this year’s panto, family favourite Jack and the Beanstalk.

The line-up for the production includes singer Gareth Gates as Jack, veteran dame Ian Adams as his long suffering mother and self-confessed lazy cow Doreen Tipton as his obnoxious neighbour. TV star Lisa Riley will tread the boards as the Spirit of the Beans, Adam C Booth will play Simple Simon and Graham Cole will be the evil Fleshcreep.

They will all star in the five-week run of the show that opens on December 9 at the Lichfield Street theatre.

Last year’s panto saw more than 60,000 people visit the theatre, smashing all former box office records and grossing £100,000 more than the previous year’s production of Peter Pan.

This year, the cast hope that the latest production will do ever better still, with stars looking forward to returning to The Grand.

The lead of Jack Trott is played by Gareth Gates, who becomes the hapless hero of the classic tale.

Gareth is looking forward to returning to the city where he has performed as a singer and will be bringing his daughter Missy to see him during the run. Ian Adams plays Dame Trott, Jack’s beleaguered mother. The veteran dame crossed the Black Country border to play the dame in Aladdin at The Grand last year after 10 panto seasons at the Lichfield Garrick.

Comedienne Doreen Tipton won Best Newcomer in the Great British Pantomime Awards after playing the Empress of China in Aladdin at the Grand last year.

For more information, visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/panto/jack-and-the-beanstalk