Sharon D Clarke and Alexia Khadime lead Hackney Empire's Sleeping Beauty

Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke will lead the cast of the Hackney Empire's annual pantomime, Sleeping Beauty written and directed by the theatre's Creative Director Susie McKenna with music by Steven Edis.

She will be joined by Wicked star Alexia Khadime as Princess Tahlia, Guys and Dolls star Gavin Spokes as The Dame and a cast that also includes Kat B, Tony Whittle, Darren Hart, Wayne Perrey, Georgia Oldman, Kiruna Stamell and Sharon Ballard.

The award-winning creative team will reunite for this brand new pantomime, once again bringing a classic story up to date. Sleeping Beauty will be McKenna and Edis' 18th pantomime for the Hackney Empire.

Written and directed by Susie McKenna with music by Steven Edis it features design by Lotte Collett, musical direction by Mark Dickman, choreography by Carl Parris, lighting by David W Kidd and sound design by Avgoustos Psillas.

"Welcome to enchanted Hackneytonia; a land of fairies, unicorns and dragons where once upon a time, a princess is born. Spurned at the celebration party, malevolent wicked fairy Carabosse casts an evil spell which changes the Princess's life forever. Will Princess Tahlia take charge of her own destiny?"

Alexia Khadime returns to Hackney Empire following her role in their 2012 pantomime Dick Whittington and his Cat. He other stage credits include The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales), Les Miserables (Queens Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria), The Lion King (Lyceum), Ordinary Days (Trafalgar Studios) and Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre).

Sharon D Clarke's extensive theatre credits include her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Amen Corner (National Theatre), as well as her Olivier nominated performances in We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre) and Ghost (Piccadilly Theatre). Other recent credits include Porgy & Bess (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Everyman (National Theatre), Pigs and Dogs (Royal Court) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (National Theatre).

Gavin Spokes most recently played the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls for which he received an Olivier Award-nomination. Other Theatre credits include 1984 (Headlong/West End) One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre UK Tour) and She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre).

Tickets for Sleeping Beauty are now on sale.