downsmail.co.uk


Tickets going fast for Aladdin, saysHazli


TICKETS for the traditional panto at the Hazlitt Theatre are selling faster than ever this year, sayman- agement. Of the 60 shows to be staged be-


tweenDecember 1 and 31, 10 are al- ready sold out and 23 are close to selling out. This year’sproduction ofAladdin,


which stars former EastEnder and stand-upcomicRichardBlackwood, is shifting tickets faster than this time last year, said spokesman MichelleWoodland. The 350-seatHazlitt faced compe-


tition in Maidstone and securing Richard,who plays theGenie of the Lamp, was “essential” to retaining dominance in themarket. The pantomime, which also stars


Alessandro Lubrano (Aladdin), ErinaLewis (Slave of theRing),Eliz- abeth Bright (Princess Jasmine) and Kivan Dene (Abanazar), provides the bulk of the Hazlitt’s revenue to stay open andrun itsmany commu- nity activities. It is the only town centreperform-


ance space and its Earl Street loca- tion is in the heart of Maidstone’s burgeoning “twilight economy” of restaurants and bars. MrsWoodland said: “We’remore


thanpleasedthat the tickets sales are doing so well this year, but we’re never complacent.We knowthat the


people in Maidstone love a good, honest, traditional British family panto. “We had a bit of competition last


year but it only affected sales slightly. This year, with Richard Blackwood and a really strong sup- porting cast,we can compete against the other big productions in Kent. “It’s no secret that a theatre the


size of the Hazlitt needs the rev- enues to survive and to be able to carry on with all the community stuff thatwe’rewell-known for.” Hazlitt management decided to


invest heavily in a big star to ensure ticket saleswouldwithstand a chal- lenge.Last year’sproduction ofCin- derella, which starred national TV treasure Rustie Lee, was a big suc- cess although numbers were af- fected by competition elsewhere in the county.  To book a ticket for this year’s panto at theHazlitt Theatre in Earl Street,Maidstone, call the box of- fice on 01622 758611 or log onto www.hazlitttheatre.com.


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News


Newtrains by the endof 2019


THE Government has promised Thameslink trains will be running fromMaidstone viaWestMalling to central London fromDecember next year. Rob Bird, KCC councillor for


Maidstone Central and Lib Dem group leader, received reassurance from the Department for Transport onOctober 19 that serviceswouldbe runningat the endof 2019. A letter from transport secretary


Chris Grayling to Cllr Bird stated: “FromDecember2019,newThames- linkservicesbetweenMaidstoneEast and Cambridgewill also provide an extra two trains per hour in each di- rectionallday. “Additionally, the commencement


of theThameslinkrouteinDecember 2019willprovidealldayconnectivity betweenMaidstone, the city and St Pancras..” Thameslinkserviceshadoriginally


been set forMay this year, then later delayedtoDecember 2018 CllrBirdsaid: "Thisisahugerelief.


The timetable changes inMaywere truly shambolic, so it's hardly sur- prisingthatMaidstone residents and commuterswereconcernedabout the prospect of the Thameslink services beingfurtherdelayed.”


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