Small-screen star makes stage debut. Oh Yes

11^th March 2009

It’s an inevitable truth in today’s entertainment industry. The greatest stars of the big and small screens, will all, ultimately, without exception, decide they need to strut their stuff on the live stage. They can’t help it. It’s an irresistible actorish urge.

Think Jude Law, David Tennant, Rachel Weiss, Daniel Radcliffe, Orlando Bloom, Dustin Hofmann, Kevin Spacey. And now add yet another famous name to that massively illustrious roster: Churchill. Oh yes.

It’s been confirmed that after a 13 year advertising-only career, this icon of the insurance industry is about to make a dramatic, dynamic, live theatre debut in 22 Christmas productions, right round the UK, in front of an estimated audience of (wait for it) 1.5 million.

This is possibly the UK’s most unique marketing partnership and unites together two great British institutions. It’s also probably the biggest screen to stage shift ever undertaken by a major star, and it doesn’t take much to work out why it’s a creative match made in heaven. Oh yes (it does). Oh no (it doesn’t).

Pantomime producers Qdos Entertainment finally sealed the deal after six months’ negotiation with Marty Hoffmann (Churchill’s rights manager and effectively his agent). Neither will reveal what the famous brown and white British bulldog is being paid.

He’s appearing alongside top stars including John Barrowman, Shane Richie, Ray Quinn and Roxanne Pallet.

Neither Qdos Entertainment nor Churchill will reveal the exact role he’ll be playing, but it’s likely that the star will be giving good advice to goodies and bad counsel to baddies. Usually of a fairly basic kind: oh yes, or oh no.

Borkowski on 0207 404 3000
Laura Woods / lauraw@borkowski.co.uk 07545 508241
Michael Hickson / michaelh@borkowski.co.uk 07866 661 765

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering award-winning car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill is part of RBS Insurance, the second largest general insurer in the UK and is wholly owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0800 200300 or visiting www.churchill.com.

Churchill Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered office: Churchill Court, Westmoreland Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1DP. Registered in England and Wales no.2258947. The Financial Services Authority's Register can be accessed through http://www.fsa.gov.uk/.

www.churchill.com/panto - for all pantomime news, live from Tuesday 6th October.

Qdos Entertainment is the only pantomime producer to stage shows throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and this year the theatrical giant will present 22 pantomimes.

Staging and presenting shows on the scale of the Qdos pantomime season requires a huge number of people working all year round, including carpenters, painters and a team of wardrobe staff that create and maintain the stage sets, effects and over 150,000 costumes!

During the season, it takes over 700 people, including production staff and hundreds of cast members, to bring the magic of pantomime alive. The Qdos pantomime season starts on Saturday 28 November 2009.