Creative Team Behind Aladdin Return
to Lead Dick Whittington & His Mousehole Cat

The team behind last year's record-breaking Aladdin are back! The nationally award‑nominated creative team return to lead this year’s Cornwall Playhouse Productions festive pantomime, Dick Whittington & His Mousehole Cat.

Following the success of 2025’s Aladdin, which saw record-breaking audiences and national recognition, with the team shortlisted for three national awards, Director Nick Evans, writers Edward Rowe and Richard Healey, and choreographer Jevan Howard‑Jones reunite with HfC’s own producing team to build on a run of critically recognised Christmas productions in Truro. 

★★★★
"POLISHED AND HIGH-POWERED"
- The Stage praise for Aladdin 

Last year's Cornwall Playhouse Production, Aladdin. Credit: Hugh Hastings.

Blending West End experience with bold Cornish storytelling, the returning team reflects HfC’s commitment to creating ambitious, locally‑rooted work that resonates far beyond the region. 

Director Nick Evans returns following his acclaimed work on Aladdin. His career spans the West End and international stages, including Associate Director on Billy Elliot the Musical in London and work across major productions including Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins and Bat Out of Hell. His recent directing credits include a brand new staging of Matilda the Musical in Mexico City and large‑scale projects with the National Youth Music Theatre. 

Richard Healey steps back into his role as co‑writer and Musical Director, having been at the heart of Hall for Cornwall’s Christmas shows since 2012 and receiving a nomination at The Pantomime Awards 2026 in the Best Contribution to Music category for his work on Aladdin. Working nationally and internationally as a Musical Director, composer and arranger, his credits include The Creakers (West End), Ordinary Days (West End) and The Gondoliers (UK tour). Alongside his professional practice, he lectures at the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) at Falmouth University. 

Joining him for a second time as co-writer is Edward Rowe. An award‑winning Cornish actor, writer and comedian, Rowe is known nationally for his role in the BAFTA‑winning film Bait and across Cornwall as Kernow King. His work spans stage, screen and radio, with credits including Rose of Nevada, House of the Dragon, The Witcher, and Beyond Paradise, alongside a substantial body of work championing Cornish identity and language. He was previously nominated for Best British Male at the Great British Pantomime Awards for his performance in Hall for Cornwall’s Sleeping Beauty and last year’s Cornwall Playhouse Production of Aladdin saw him nominated once again, this time for the Stanley Baxter Award for Best Dame. 

Choreographer Jevan Howard‑Jones is also back, bringing his distinctive style to the production. His recent work includes the upcoming Wicked film and choreography for productions including Peter Pan, and of course, Aladdin, at Hall for Cornwall, alongside credits on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the West End and on UK tour. He also choreographed Cable Street, which had a successful Off-West End run and recently transferred to New York for an Off-Broadway run. His choreography for Aladdin saw him receive a nomination at The Pantomime Awards 2026 for Best Choreography. 

Nick Evans (Dir.) Jevan Howard-Jones (Chor.) and Richard Healey (Co-Writer) at the professional auditions in London. Credit: Julien Boast.

Helen Tiplady, Deputy Creative Director at Hall for Cornwall, once again takes on the role of Producer for Dick Whittington and his Mousehole Cat, with HfC CEO and Creative Director Julien Boast Executive Producing, for Cornwall Playhouse Productions - the producing arm of Hall for Cornwall. 

Part of HfC’s ongoing commitment to making new work across the Duchy, Cornwall Playhouse Productions has long been a driver of success, with shows including Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical, Peter Pan and last year’s Aladdin to its name. 

Speaking about the announcement, Julien Boast said:

“Our Christmas shows sit right at the heart of what we do, and Cornwall Playhouse Productions is all about making work that starts here and reaches far beyond. After the success of Aladdin with audiences and critics, bringing them back for Dick Whittington was a no‑brainer. They’ve got a brilliant instinct for what makes a Cornwall audience tick, and they’re not holding back this year. Expect big laughs, big heart and all the magic you want from a proper festive night out"

Nick Evans added:

“I’m enormously excited to be coming back to Cornwall for Christmas! There’s something really special about building on what we started with Aladdin. The audiences, the energy, the appetite for something joyful at Christmas - you can feel how much Cornish audiences embrace what is very much ‘their’ pantomime. Dick Whittington is a brilliant, adventurous story, with kindness at its heart, and with this team reassembled we’ve got the chance to create something even bigger, and more fun, than ever before."

Nick Evans welcomes the group at a Meet and Greet and initial rehearsal for Aladdin. Credit: Hugh Hastings.

Cornwall’s festive family tradition continues with Dick Whittington & His Mousehole Cat, an all‑singing, all‑dancing adventure following a young dreamer and his trusty cat on a quest for fortune, friendship, and home, running from 04 Dec 2026 to 03 Jan 2027. 

Get your tickets here.