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, saymanagement. Of the 60 shows to be staged be-
tween December 1 and 31, 10 are already soldout and23 are close to selling out. This year’s production of Al-
addin,which stars former EastEn- der and stand-up comic Richard Blackwood, is shifting tickets faster than this time last year, said spokesmanMichelleWoodland. The 350-seat Hazlitt faced com-
petition inMaidstone andsecuring Richard, who plays the Genie of the Lamp, was “essential” to re- taining dominance in themarket. Thepantomime,whichalso stars
Alessandro Lubrano (Aladdin), Erina Lewis (Slave of the Ring), ElizabethBright (Princess Jasmine) and Kivan Dene (Abanazar), pro- vides the bulk of theHazlitt’s rev- enue to stay open andrun itsmany community activities.
It is the only town centre per-
formance space and its Earl Street location is in the heart of Maid- stone’s burgeoning “twilight econ- omy” of restaurants and bars. Mrs Woodland said: “We’re
more than pleased that the tickets sales are doing so well this year, but we’re never complacent. We
knowthat thepeople inMaidstone 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 strong support- ing 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 in a big star to ensure ticket saleswouldwithstanda challenge. Last year’s production of Cin- derella,which starred national TV treasure Rustie Lee,was a big suc- cess although numbers were af- fected by competition elsewhere. To book a ticket for this year’s panto at the Hazlitt Theatre in Earl Street, Maidstone, call the box office on 01622 758611 or log
ontowww.hazlitttheatre.com.
News Newtrains by
the endof 2019 THE Government has promised Thameslink trains will be running from Maidstone viaWest Malling to central London fromDecember next year. Rob Bird, KCC councillor for
Maidstone Central and Lib Dem groupleader, receivedreassurance fromtheDepartment forTransport on October 19 that services would be running at the end of 2019. Aletter fromtransport secretary
Chris Grayling to Cllr Bird stated: “From December 2019, Thames- link services between Maidstone East and Cambridgewill also pro- vide an extra two trainsper hour in each direction all day. “Additionally, the commence-
ment of the Thameslink route in December 2019 will provide all day connectivity between Maid- stone, the city and St Pancras..” Thameslink services had origi-
nally been set for May this year, then delayed toDecember 2018 Cllr Bird said: “This is a huge re-
lief. The timetable changes inMay were shambolic, so it’s not surpris- ing that Maidstone residents and commuters were concerned about the prospect of further delays.”
Reader Offer £2 OFF
TICKETS
Visit/call Hazlitt Box Office Quote: Downs/MKL Offer ends 31.10.18
Maidstone East December 2018
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