Pantomime Awards 2023 nominations

Central is delighted to announce that alum Ruby Ablett (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2017) and Public and Cultural Engagement Fellow Dr Naomi Paxton, have been nominated for The Pantomime Awards 2023. Central is proud to celebrate the news that they have been recognised this year across categories, including:

• Ruby Ablett, nominated for Best Comic in Dick Whittington at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge.
• Dr Naomi Paxton’s character Ada Campe, nominated for Best Newcomer to Pantomime in Dick Whittington and his Cat at The Theatre, Chipping Norton.

During the 2022/23 pantomime season, the second year in which the Awards have taken place, the UK Pantomime Association’s 64 judges attended over 240 venues to see over 700 performances, across the United Kingdom. Founded in 2021, the UK Pantomime Association is a charity that explores, shares and celebrates pantomime by investigating the genre’s rich past, engaging with contemporary practice and inspiring the future. This year, for the first time, there are no gendered categories as Principal and Secondary Boy and Girl, become Principal Lead and Secondary Lead.

Speaking about the nominations, Ruby Ablett said:

“Pantomime is perhaps the most accessible form of theatre we have in the UK, and has become an integral (and joyous) part of my life as a performer. I am honoured to be nominated for Best Comic at this years UK Panto awards. It was at Central that I discovered my funny bones, and am so grateful to have trained on the Musical Theatre pathway, which continues to enable me to work across a broad range of genres and mediums.”

Dr Naomi Paxton added:

“The experience of panto – 12 shows a week for two months! – was hard work and great fun, and I’m chuffed to bits that Ada has been nominated for Best Newcomer in the UK Pantomime Association 2023 Panto Awards.”

Central congratulates the nominees and wishes them the best of luck for the ceremony, which will take place on 11 April.

Book tickets for the ceremony at the UK Pantomime Association website

Find out more about Dr Naomi Paxton’s work on her staff profile page or by visiting her website.