The high-flying pantomime adventure will bring music icon, Jimmy Osmond; comedian, Meera Syal; Union J heartthrob, Jaymi Hensley and panto favourite, Matt Slack to Birmingham from Wednesday 19th December. 

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. He has starred in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chicago, Boogie Nights and Grease. Jimmy will star as Neverland’s nastiest resident, the crocodile-fearing, Peter Pan-despising, left-hand-lacking Captain Hook.

Alongside Osmond, comedian, writer and actress, Meera Syal, makes her pantomime debut as the Magical Mermaid. West Midlands-born Meera is best known for her television work including writing and performing in the iconic BBC comedy, Goodness Gracious Me and played Sushila in the International Emmy award-winning series The Kumars at No. 42 which ran for seven series. 

On stage Meera recently completed a four-month stint as the evil Miss Hannigan in the West End production of Annie, and previously starred in the title role of the one woman show, Shirley Valentine at the Menier Chocolate Factory. 

Back for his sixth consecutive Hippodrome pantomime, Birmingham’s most popular entertainer Matt Slack returns to his pantomime home to star with them as Smee. Matt has won legions of fans making thousands of Midland panto audiences laugh each and every year with his trademark physical comedy, adlibs and local references.

Starring as Peter Pan, Union J star, Jaymi Hensley, makes his Hippodrome debut. Having trained at the prestigious BRIT School for Performing Arts, Jaymi entered the ninth series of The X Factor and saw his band - Union J - finish fourth. Since then, they've released numerous singles and two studio albums.

Joining the cast as 'The Neverlanders' will be the jaw-dropping acrobatic troupe, The Timbuktu Tumblers. Presenting an incredible display of human pyramids, hoop-jumping and flaming limbo work, the team most recently starred in London’s West End in Cirque Beserk at the Peacock Theatre.

Completing the line-up will be Sascha Williams as the Drunken Pirate. As part of the speciality act Rola Bola, the death-defying stuntman was most recently seen sailing through to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent where he wowed the judges and audiences with his circus artistry of a ‘Rola Rola’ act. Having performed as part of Aerial Angels Australia and various circus troupes across the globe, Sascha also made his pantomime debut for Qdos Entertainment in Peter Pan. Speaking on this year’s casting, Director, Michael Harrison, said:

“We’re delighted to, once again, have assembled such a stellar line-up for this year’s production of Peter Pan, the first time the title has been staged [at The Hippodrome] for thirteen years.

"We’re busy planning all sorts of surprises for the show and we’re extremely excited to be presenting a production that will be packed full of brilliant song and dance, hilarious comedy and dazzling special effects.”

Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Birmingham Hippodrome, Fiona Allan, added;

“We are incredibly excited to be working with Qdos again to bring audiences such a fantastic line up of stars for Peter Pan, from music legend, Donny Osmond to West Midlands born Meera Syal

"This year’s line-up promises something for everyone, and with the clock already ticking - it’s never too early to start planning in some swashbuckling festive fun."

Peter Pan runs from Wednesday 19th December to Sunday 27th January 2019. For more information, or to buy tickets, call the box office on 0844 338 5000 or visit birminghamhippodrome.com.