THE Courtyard welcomes back some familiar faces both on stage and off for this year's panto, Dick Whittington.

Nick Collett, riding high on the wave of his success with last year's box office-busting Cinderella, directs as well as taking the role of Dame Izzy Eckerslike.

Also returning will be Jess Robinson, who will be playing the roles of the fairy and the cat.

Jess was last seen at the Courtyard when she appeared in Little Voice in June 2003.

New faces include Denise Hoey, who will be playing Dick's love interest, Alice Fitzwarren; Nick Smithers, who will be taking on the role of the evil King Rat, and Alex Tomkins, who be playing the hero of the piece, Dick Whittington.

Behind-the-scenes, the Courtyard is pleased to welcome back writer Lyndsay Maples, whose scripts are always perfectly tailored to Herefordshire audiences, and Rab Handleigh as musical director.

Dick Whittington runs from Friday, December 1, to Saturday, January 6, with plenty of performance times to suit.

Call to book on 0870 1122330.