From a hit police series to panto, Lisa Maxwell will bring the drama to Norwich Theatre Royal's Aladdin this Christmas.
Maxwell is best known for playing Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon in ITV's The Bill from 2002 to 2009.
While the show was cancelled a year later, she still hears calls from fans for a reboot and keeps in touch with her castmates.
She said: "It is one of the happiest TV shows to work on and we have a WhatsApp group with 38 cast members on it and we talk on a daily basis."
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Maxwell, who is also a former Loose Women panellist, is returning to panto following a 26-year hiatus.
After turning 60, she wanted to test herself to do "two shows a day every day and see if it is still in there".
She plays the villain Professor Bellatrix Bottomborough in Aladdin and hopes returning to panto will be "like riding a bike".
This is very apt as her character will ride a motorbike on stage.
The cast also includes returning favourite Joe Tracini as Reg, West End stars Tarik Frimpong and Meesha Turner as Aladdin and Jazz, respectively, and Owen Evans, one-half of the Nimmo Twins, as Dame Molly Piecrust.
Rehearsals got under way earlier this week and Maxwell has been "blown away" by the talent of her castmates.
Maxwell, who lives in the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, is delighted to be spending the festive season in Norwich.
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She remembers coming to the city in the 90s with a show called Boogie Nights and she also took her daughter, now 25, to the Norfolk Broads when she was little.
She said: "I love Norwich it is a beautiful city and while we don't have much free time, I really want to go to the beach while I am in Norfolk.
"I have been recommended Horsey and Holkham."
Chatting about the show, she added: "Panto is a wonderful way to introduce children to theatre and I want audiences to make their presence known.
"Boo and hiss and call me what you like - give me hell!"
Aladdin runs from December 7 2024 to January 5 2025 - book tickets at norwichtheatre.org or call 01603 630000.
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