SCHOOLS are out for summer, but Oldham Coliseum Theatre is already preparing for this year’s festive pantomime, Cinderella.

Based (loosely) on the classic fairy tale, this year’s festive extravaganza features not one, but two pantomime dames with Fine Time Fontayne and Simeon Truby unveiled as this year’s Ugly Sisters.

Fine Time has been the Coliseum’s beloved pantomime dame since 2008 and has lit up Oldham’s historic stage in previous productions of Mother Goose, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

Truby was the theatre’s hero of the hour in 2016, when he triumphantly stepped into the role of the Dame at short notice after an accident in rehearsals meant that Fine Time was unable to perform in Sleeping Beauty.

Originally cast to play the part of King Cuthbert, Simeon was universally praised for his performance as Nanny Nutty throughout the nine-week run, despite having only a week and a half to rehearse the part.

Fine Time is also the co-writer of the theatre’s annual pantomime, alongside the theatre’s chief executive and artistic director Kevin Shaw.

Despite being unable to perform in Sleeping Beauty due to a broken ankle, he was already working on the script for last year’s pantomime, Dick Whittington. Dick Whittington saw the return of Fine Time to the Coliseum stage, with Simeon playing the villain, King Rat, and delivering a crowd pleasing rendition of Rat out of Hell (Meatloaf’s Bat of out Hell).

Cinderella runs at Oldham Coliseum Theatre from Saturday, November to Saturday, January 12.