She’s become a dab hand at the Doric as a Christmas dame.
But Elaine C Smith has announced she is bowing out as queen of the much-loved HMT panto after eight years and will be starring in her native Glasgow instead.
Writer, Alan McHugh, and comedian, Jordan Young, are poised to return in this year’s production of Aladdin, according to Aberdeen Performing Arts. But they will be minus the popular Ms Smith.
Jane Spiers, chief executive of APA, said: “At the end of our last pantomime Dick McWhittington, we bid a very fond farewell to the wonderful Elaine C Smith, who had been our panto queen for many years.
“Elaine came to Aberdeen eight years ago to do her first pantomime here and the warmth of Aberdeen audiences kept her coming back year after year.”
“We are very excited to welcome back the dream team that is Alan and Jordan – they are true entertainers and have our audiences in stitches of laughter.”
Alan McHugh has been HMT’s panto dame for 13 years and written all of the shows in which he has appeared.
He said: “What’s so special about the HMT show is we give the city and people of Aberdeen their very own panto with its own identity, celebrating the city.
“So I guarantee a great family night out – a roller-coaster ride of Doric thrills, spills (not all of them rehearsed) and belly laughs from start to finish.”
Further star casting for this year’s panto will be announced in the near future.
