November 2, 2026
Panto Beauty Varied Roles Have Included Horror and a Singing Frog
Variety is certainly the spice of life for Sheringham’s Sleeping Beauty panto star.
In her short career Annabel Partington-Smith has already played a Victorian street child, fairytale fantasy heroine, horror story teenager, sung in a proms concert and led a frog choir in China.
And in the run-up to taking the lead role as the Little Theatre’s Beauty the 24-year-old from The Wirral near Liverpool is playing Paul McCartney’s girlfriend in a musical closer to home.
Annabel is looking forward to her first professional panto role, since graduating from drama school.
She said: “I am excited about meeting and working with a new cast. When I came to Sheringham for the first time for a photo shoot I loved the sense of community and how welcoming people are.
“If I had any nerves, they soon disappeared and I can’t wait to until panto season, which is so much fun and brings everybody together at Christmas.”
Her drama roots stem back to childhood including when she “stole” her brother’s song for a singing competition.
“I was about four, and loved his song Perfect Day so I asked to sing it instead and he chose another. He and my mum were also involved in amateur dramatics so I joined in and my first time in pantomime was as teenager performing supporting roles in Aladdin and Dick Whittington.”
Her first taste of being part of a professional cast was as a 14-year-old community actor in Her Benny, a Liverpudlian “Oliver!” style musical in which she played street child Sniffer.
And while at the Hammond drama school in Chester she was among a group of students who sang a medley from Fame in a BBC proms concert in the local cathedral for the late Queen’s Jubilee.
She played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz in a community youth theatre’s production, then in a complete change of character during her third college year took the title role in Carrie – a musical version of the Stephen King Carrie story about a bullied youngster out to wreak revenge.
After graduating she landed a plum job in China at the Universal Studios resort and theme park where she played multiple Harry Potter-related roles including leading a frog choir.
“I’d never lived more than 20 minutes away from home, and suddenly I was an 11-hour flight away. It was great working with witches in a wizarding world for a whole year,” said Annabel.
Before her panto role, she is playing Dot Rhone, Beatle Paul McCartney’s girlfriend a production of This Girl at the Capstone Theatre in Liverpool, which tells the story of John Lennon’s wife Cynthia. Annabel said: “It is a dream role having grown up surrounded by the Beatles.”
She is also a singing teacher, and “very passionate” about helping artistes protect their voices for their careers.
“I am keen to ensure singers look after their vocal health, which often lives in the shadow of physical health. It means getting the right amount of drink, sleep and not shouting which can easily tire the voice out.”
Away from the stage her hobbies include crochet and sewing which results from her mum making amateur theatrical costumes and teaching her needlecraft – plus a lot of crocheting during lockdown. They are useful skills as she and the rest of the panto cast will be aiming to have the audience in stitches.
See Annabel in Sleeping Beauty at Sheringham Little Theatre running from December 12 to January 3.
