Coronation Street and Casualty favourite Tristan Gemmill will star as Abanazar in Malvern Theatres’ spectacular family pantomime Aladdin, alongside returning panto favourite Mark James.

Malvern Theatres and UK Productions Ltd. are thrilled to announce that soap legend Tristan Gemmill, best known to millions for his roles in Coronation Street and Casualty, will star as the villainous Abanazar in this year’s magical pantomime spectacular Aladdin, running at Malvern Theatres from Thursday 10 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

For audiences across Worcestershire and beyond, Christmas at Malvern Theatres is more than just a night out. It is the moment the festive season truly begins. It is grandparents bringing grandchildren for the first time, parents passing on a tradition they grew up with, friends gathering before Christmas, and families creating the kind of shared memories that are talked about long after the decorations come down.

This year, that tradition gets a major dose of star power...

Tristan Gemmill has been a familiar face in British homes for decades. On Coronation Street, he became one of Weatherfield’s most memorable leading men as Robert Preston, the charismatic owner of the Viaduct Bistro whose time on the cobbles was packed with love, heartbreak, danger and high drama. Before that, he won over audiences as Dr Adam Trueman in Casualty, becoming one of the BBC medical drama’s best-loved faces.

Now, Tristan swaps the cobbles and the wards for the wicked glamour of panto villainy, bringing his screen presence, comic timing and theatrical flair to one of pantomime’s most deliciously dastardly roles.

As Abanazar, he will be the man audiences love to boo: the dark-hearted sorcerer determined to seize the magic lamp for himself. It is a role made for big entrances, wicked laughs, glittering menace and that unmistakable panto thrill of seeing a true villain command the stage.

Joining Tristan on stage is the incomparable Mark James, returning for his ninth sensational season at Malvern Theatres following the huge success of last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk.

For regular Malvern panto audiences, Mark needs little introduction. He has become part of the theatre’s Christmas tradition, bringing warmth, mischief, lightning-fast wit and the kind of infectious comic energy that makes audiences feel instantly at home. His return gives Aladdin that extra spark of familiarity for those who come every year, and for anyone making their first visit, it is the perfect introduction to why Malvern’s pantomime has become such a beloved festive fixture.

Together, Tristan Gemmill and Mark James promise the perfect panto pairing: big star villainy, brilliant comedy, dazzling spectacle and the kind of feel-good festive magic that turns a theatre trip into a Christmas memory.

Running from Thursday 10 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, Aladdin will bring audiences a magic carpet ride of laughter, music, adventure and wonder, complete with stunning sets, lavish costumes, spectacular effects and all the audience participation that makes pantomime one of Britain’s most joyful theatrical traditions.

Whether you have been coming to Malvern Theatres every Christmas for years, are bringing the children for their first ever panto, or are looking for a festive outing that brings every generation together, this is the show to put in the diary now - once word gets out that a Coronation Street and Casualty favourite is playing one of panto’s greatest villains alongside one of Malvern’s most-loved panto performers, tickets will not hang around for long.