A NORTH-EAST actress will be coming back home over the festive period to appear in this year's pantomime, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Zoe Birkett, who was born in Consett and brought up in Darlington, is joining the cast of Aladdin which will start a month-long run at Darlington Hippodrome in December.

Film and television star Robin Askwith, who appeared in the Confessions comedy series, Public Eye, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and, most recently, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Benidorm, has also been confirmed to star in the show, playing Abanazar.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Louie Spence, who has worked with the Spice Girls and Take That and is best known for his work on the TV show Pineapple Dance Studios, has joined the cast.

He has also appeared as a judge on Dancing on Ice and was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother.

Coronation Street star Eric Potts and Darlington panto veteran Liam Mellor will also be appearing in the show, which is being produced by Qdos Entertainment.

Ms Birkett will star as Princess Jasmine having played the Wicked Queen in last year’s pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a role for which she was nominated for Best Female Villain at this year’s Great British Pantomime Awards.

Having shot to fame as a 16-year-old on Pop Idol in 2002, she has secured a number of a West End roles and went on to star as Rachel Marron in the critically-acclaimed UK tour of The Bodyguard.

Speaking about her return to Darlington Hippodrome, Ms Birkett said: "I am absolutely delighted to be back home for Christmas and starring with Louie and Robin in Aladdin, and to be reunited with Eric and Liam and playing to a home crowd once again is an absolute honour.

"We had a ball doing last year’s panto and I can’t wait for us to get back out there and entertain the wonderful audiences at the Hippodrome once again.”

Speaking earlier this year, Lynda Winstanley, director of Darlington Hippodrome, said Aladdin will be a "great hit" with audiences.

Aladdin will be performed at Darlington Hippodrome from Saturday, December 8 to Sunday, January 6, 2019.

To book tickets, visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call 01325 405405.