Panto role for Harry Potter star

Harry Potter star Chris Rankin has left the hallowed halls of Hogwarts to side with the bad boys in this year's Norwich Theatre Royal panto.

Instead of cheers befitting a pupil of the famed school of witchcraft and wizardry the teenager from Shipdham near Dereham can expect hisses and boos as a baddie in the production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Chris, who has already signed up to appear in the next two Potter movies as swotty prefect Percy Weasley takes on the role of Percival the king's valet in the show.

And although his character starts off as one of the show's goodies ten minutes into the production he gets hypnotised by baddie Stinkwort and crosses over to the dark side.

"It's a really good role because I get the chance to be evil and spend most of the production getting up to no good," said Chris, who was offered the part after a meeting with Theatre Royal chiefs. "I had a meeting at the Theatre Royal about something else and as I was leaving I asked if there was a chance of appearing in the pantomime and they said yes."

A veteran of the stage Chris has appeared in countless school and amateur productions, including most recently in Joseph with Dereham Northgate High School and Honk with Dereham Operatic Society Youth Theatre Company.

But it will be the first time the 19-year-old has appeared in a professional show.

He said: "It's going to be the first professional stage thing I have done. I am really looking forward to the role.

"We start rehearsals in December for 12 days and then its straight into the show."

And once the run at the Theatre Royal finishes in January the teenager, who has also been working at Norwich's UCI cinema will be preparing to start rehearsals for the next Harry Potter film, which will be based on JK Rowling's third book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

"We are due to start filming in March so it will be straight from the pantomime and into Potter," he added.

Article taken from EDP 24.