From Soapland to Neverland, Coronation Street’s Claire King to star in Northern Ireland’s biggest pa

Belfast’s Grand Opera House has announced that actress Claire King will swap the cobbles of Corrie for the high seas this Festive Season as she joins the cast of this year’s swashbuckling pantomime, Peter Pan.

Best known as Emmerdale’s Kim Tate, a role she played in the hit ITV show for over a decade, Claire rose to popularity as one of the soap’s best-loved characters. Following an explosive departure from the programme, Claire went to prison under the guise of wing governor Karen Betts in the popular, jail-based drama series Bad Girls. Most recently starring as Erica Holroyd in Coronation Street, as well as featuring on Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing, Claire has cemented her reputation as one of the UK’s most versatile actresses.

Claire King will star as The Magical Mermaid, the underwater enchantress on hand to help the high-flying hero Peter Pan outwit the villainous Captain Hook.

With a record number of fifty percent of tickets already sold - four months ahead of the opening night - the cast of Peter Pan is led by the Queen of panto May McFettridge as Mrs Smee in her 28th consecutive Grand Opera House pantomime, favourite Paddy Jenkins as Starkey, and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, funny man Paul Burling as Smee.

Ian Wilson, chief executive of the Grand Opera House, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Claire to the cast of Peter Pan, Northern Ireland’s biggest panto. It’s been a decade since Peter Pan was last staged at the Theatre and with an unprecedented number of 38,000 seats - half of available tickets, already sold, the show is on course to smash all box office records.

“The Theatre opened on 23 December 1895 with a panto and since then generations of families have enjoyed the annual Christmas extravaganza at the Grand Opera House, the home of pantomime in Northern Ireland. Don’t leave it any longer to book your tickets for this year’s unmissable production of Peter Pan!”

Staged by the world’s biggest pantomime producer Qdos Entertainment, and team behind last year’s record-breaking panto Cinderella, Peter Pan which is again proudly sponsored by Dale Farm, will be packed full of comedy, stunning costumes and amazing special effects audiences of all ages will enjoy.

Hook your seats today for Peter Pan by visiting goh.co.uk