STREETS paved with gold await audiences watching Cambridge s only traditional family pantomime. The Cambridge Arts Theatre has built a reputation for producing outstanding panto s, and this year s production of Dick Whittington and his cat looks set to

STREETS paved with gold await audiences watching Cambridge's only traditional family pantomime.

The Cambridge Arts Theatre has built a reputation for producing outstanding panto's, and this year's production of Dick Whittington and his cat looks set to be no exception.

Resident Dame Brad Fitt returns to the stage as the feisty matriarch Sarah the Cook, following his hilarious and acclaimed performances as Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk, and the prettier half of Ugly Sister duo Dolce and Gabanna in Cinderella. Joining him are Arts Theatre favourites Julie Buckfield (Hollyoaks, Grange Hill) as Dick Whittington and Matt Crosby as Idle Jack.

The familiar tale centres on Gloucester lad Dick Whittington, who has always been told that the streets of London are paved with gold.

Setting off with his trusty cat Tommy to find fame and fortune, not to mention true love, our plucky young hero arrives in a city that's far from the one he imagined. With evil King Rat and his army of pesky rodents overrunning the city, will Dick ever beat his foes, get the girl and become thrice Lord Mayor of London?

Julie Buckfield is in her sixth year of panto at the Arts Theatre, and this will be her second time playing Dick. Trained at the Sylvia Young theatre school, she starred in several notable West End productions, including Les Miserables, before embarking on a television career which saw her take parts in London's Burning at The Bill. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Natalie Stevens in Grange Hill and Julie Matthews in Hollyoaks. Last year she took the title role in the theatre's production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Meanwhile Fitt is another in his sixth consecutive year at the theatre, and is also the man behind the script for the show. An experienced writer and director, he gained a love of panto as a boy while visiting the Theatre Royal in Norwich. He subsequently went on to work at the theatre, and has since enjoyed a successful career both on and off stage, last year writing and directing Jack and the Beanstalk, as well as penning a panto for Basildon's Towngate Theatre.

Dick Whittington and his Cat opens on Tuesday December 10, and will run throughout the festive season, with performances scheduled to cease on January 17. Tickets start at �10 for off-peak shows, and prices go up to �27.50 for prime time performances. All bookings are subject to a �2 booking fee.

Performance times and prices vary daily, so for more information, or to book, call the Arts Theatre on 01223 503 333 or visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com.