Lucy’s Yellow Brick Journey from Understudy to Star

A young actress is off to see the wizard after an urgent understudy call-up led to her landing a leading panto role.

Lucy Connor stepped into the spotlight as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz at Sheringham last year when illness struck.

And she did so well that when the show switches to St George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth this winter she was snapped up for the main part and will step into Dorothy’s famous red shoes for the full season.

Director at both “sister” theatres Debbie Thompson said: “We have known Lucy at Sheringham for more than 10 years, through our youth theatre, watching her graduate at drama school and going on to become an accomplished actor in our summer season.

“Last Christmas, due to sickness, she stepped into Dorothy’s red shoes with just a few hours’ notice and smashed it, just like in the plot of the musical 42nd Street! So we were thrilled to offer her the main role this year at Yarmouth.

“The Little Theatre also supports St George’s by donating the set and props for their production otherwise they would struggle to cover the costs of a full-scale professional panto while keeping ticket prices affordable.

“It’s lovely we can support St George’s in this way, and provide them with a panto star, who has wonderful energy and bubbliness and is also a kind warm person which comes across on stage.”

Lucy, who was born in Colchester and moved to Sheringham with her family in 2015, has loved drama, singing and dancing since her schooldays. She graduated in musical theatre from Colchester’s University Centre in 2021, having appeared in several Little Theatre productions including being Fairy Bow Bells in the Dick Whittington Panto in 2019.

This summer she has played a variety of roles in Sheringham’s summer drama season including the Italian girlfriend of an opera singer in a farce Lend Me a Tenor and flower shop girl, and plant food, Audrey in the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

She said: “Dorothy is an iconic role, and I’m really looking forward to the fun twist panto puts on the classic story.

“I love Dorothy’s sense of adventure and determination, as well as her wonderful ability to dream big and imagine what might be possible, and I’m excited to put my own spin on such a well-loved character.

“I absolutely love pantomime. I even wrote my dissertation on its significance within the British theatre industry. There’s no better way to spend Christmas than by spreading panto magic!

“I love everything about it, but my favourite thing has got to be singing. I sing all the time, wherever I am, so it’s always nice when I actually get to do it on stage!”

Lucy says St George’s is a “beautiful venue” where she is very excited to return, having performed there in a youth production of Little Shop of Horrors, and more recently as a stop on the East Anglian Tour of the musical Summer Holiday.

She is also a youth leader at Sheringham supporting weekly groups for eight to 18-year-olds. St George’s is also working with six primary schools in the Great Yarmouth area to provide young “munchkins” for the show. The venue also runs youth sessions on Thursdays.

The Wizard of Oz runs from December 12-30 at George’s. Show times and tickets available from stgeorgestheatre.com