Ashleigh Gray & Peter Piper join Shane Richie in Robin Hood this Christmas at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking

The New Victoria Theatre has announced that soap star Shane Richie will rob from the rich and give to poor aided by comedian and actor Peter Piper as Friar Tuck and West End leading lady Ashleigh Gray as The Spirit of Sherwood in this year’s spectacular pantomime Robin Hood from 9 December 2017 to 7 January 2018.

International comedian and actor Peter Piper is known on both sides of the Atlantic having starred in ITV’s acclaimed sketch show 5 Alive, which won the New York Festival of Comedy Award. American success soon followed including roles in Party of Five, The Martin Short Show, Tarzan and Acapulco H.E.A.T. He also worked as a voiceover artist for Disney and Paramount lending his versatile vocal talents to Black Beauty, The Patriot Games (part one and two) and Pocahontas with Mel Gibson.

On UK television Peter recorded his one-man comedy special Stand & Deliver for Sky TV, appeared in Holby City and starred opposite Steven Berkoff in Hotel Babylon. Most recently Peter appeared in the critically-acclaimed Jimmy McGovern series Broken for the BBC alongside Sean Bean and Anna Friel. A regular on stage, Peter starred in the original production of Boogie Nights at the Savoy Theatre and was directed by Simon Callow in his one-man show Tommy Cooper “Just Like That!” at the Garrick Theatre. A regular favourite with international audiences on board various cruise ships Peter has also appeared in numerous Qdos Entertainment pantomimes and will be reprising his role as Friar Tuck opposite Shane Richie having played the same role in Southampton last year.

Starring as The Spirit of Sherwood, the magical fairy helping Robin, Friar Tuck and the Merry Men outwit the evil Sheriff of Nottingham will be West End star Ashleigh Gray. Having graduated from the nearby Guildford School of Acting Ashleigh quickly solidified her reputation as one of the UK’s best-loved musical theatre leading ladies having starred as Elphaba in Wicked, on tour and in London (a role she performed for over eight years), Martha in The Secret Garden, Kathy in Vanities, Kim in Taboo, Miss Lynch in Grease, Stephanie Zinone in Cool Rider, and Miranda in Betwixt! for which she was nominated for numerous awards. 

Ashleigh has also made guest appearances in concert, most recently with the

renowned Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, on Friday Night is Music Night for BBC Radio 2, toured with Susan Boyle, Lee Mead, John Barrowman, Ramin Karimloo and Scott Allen and performed across the globe with her powerhouse voice. In pantomime Ashleigh has starred in Qdos Entertainment productions for a number of years, including two consecutive years at the SEC in Glasgow alongside John Barrowman and The Krankies, and has starred alongside Shane Richie for the last two years, in Dick Whittington in Dartford and Robin Hood in Southampton.

Peter and Ashleigh will join the previously announced Shane Richie in the title role of Robin Hood. Having established himself as one of the nation’s favourite soap stars, Shane has won numerous awards and millions of fans for his portrayal of Albert Square’s loveable landlord Alfie Moon in EastEnders amongst numerous other television, film and stage appearances.

Produced by Qdos Entertainment, the world’s biggest pantomime producer, audiences will join the most heroic outlaw of them all as the arrow-shooting hero Robin Hood strives to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian while he and his trusty band of Merry Men outwit the evil Sheriff of Nottingham in a show full of action, adventure, music, laughter and audience participation.

So grab your merry men and women and don’t miss the sheriff-busting, arrow-shooting, tights-wearing, hog-roasting pantomime extravaganza!