Elaine Paige, Charlie Stemp and Gary Wilmot join Dick Whittington at the Palladium

Elaine Paige returns to the London Palladium

Further casting has been announced for Qdos Entertainment's London Palladium production of Dick Whittington which runs for a five week period over the festive period from 9 December to 14 January 2018, with an official opening on 13 December 2017.

The first lady of British musical theatre Elaine Paige will star as Queen Rat alongside Ashley Banjo and Diversity as The Sultan and his Entourage, Gary Wilmott as Sarah the Cook and Olivier Award-nominee Charlie Stemp in the title role of Dick Whittington. They will join the previously announced Julian Clary (Spirit of the Bells), Paul Zerdin (Idle Jack) and Nigel Havers (Captain Nigel), with full casting to be announced.

Produced by Nick Thomas and Michael Harrison for Qdos Entertainment, the team behind last year's twice Olivier-nominated London Palladium production of Cinderella, Dick Whittington is written by Alan McHugh, directed by Michael Harrison, choreographed by Karen Bruce with musical supervision and orchestrations by Gary Hind, lighting by Ben Cracknell, set designs by Ian Westbrook, 3D Creations, costumes by Hugh Durrant, visual special effects by The Twins FX, projection design by Duncan McLean and sound design by Gareth Owen.

Elaine Paige is a multiple award-winning actor, recording artist, producer and broadcaster. She has previously starred in more West End and Broadway musicals than anyone else of her generation - Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Billy, Evita, Cats, Chess, Anything Goes, Piaf, Sunset Boulevard, The King & I, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Drowsy Chaperone and Follies. Her BBC Radio 2 programme, Elaine Paige on Sunday, is broadcast weekly to over 2.5 million listeners.

Ashley Banjo is a dancer, choreographer and creative director. He is the founder and leader of dance group Diversity who won the third series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2009.

Gary Wilmot's multiple theatre credits include Big The Musical for the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre and on UK tour, The Pajama Game at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, Copacabana at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Carmen Jones at the Old Vic, Pirates of Penzance for Regent's Park Theatre and Me and My Girl at the Aldephi Theatre.

Charlie Stemp is currently playing the lead role in Half a Sixpence at the Noel Coward Theatre, a role he first performed at Chichester Festival Theatre, which has garnered him both great critical and audience acclaim.

Dick Whittington tickets are now on sale.