Kernow King Edward Rowe back as Dame in Truro’s Dick Whittington

The bloomers are coming out again. Edward Rowe, the man Cornwall knows as Kernow King, is returning to Hall for Cornwall this Christmas to play the pantomime Dame, and this time he is swapping Widow Twerkey for a rat-catching matriarch with dreams of London.

Wednesday Whittington takes the stage

Hall for Cornwall has confirmed that Edward Rowe will lead this year’s Cornwall Playhouse Productions pantomime, Dick Whittington and his Mousehole Cat. He plays Wednesday Whittington, Dick’s mother, a savvy Cornish businesswoman who has built a rat-catching empire and has her sights set on the bright lights of the capital.

It follows last year’s Aladdin, in which Edward had audiences laughing as Widow Twerkey. He is not only back in the dress, though. He has also been named as writer on the show alongside Richard Healey, whose credits include The Creakers and Peter Pan. The pairing is becoming a regular fixture of Christmas in Truro.

“I’m buzzing to be back as the Dame this year, can’t wait to don the dress and be Dick’s mum!” Edward said.

The team behind the panto

The show comes from returning director Nick Evans, whose past productions include Aladdin, Billy Elliot and Matilda the Musical, and from Cornwall Playhouse Productions, the team behind Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk and Aladdin. The story follows local lad Dick Whittington as he dares to dream of a brighter future, with his trusty feline friend at his side.

Julien Boast, Hall for Cornwall CEO and Executive Producer, said the venue was delighted to have Edward back. “He brings such warmth, mischief, and unmistakable Cornish charm to everything he does, and Wednesday Whittington is set to be another character to remember. This year’s show is shaping up to be a real festive treat, full of adventure, laughter, and that special festive fairy dust that everyone has come to expect from Cornwall Playhouse Productions.”

Nick Evans said reassembling the team opened the door to something bigger. “Dick Whittington is a brilliant, adventurous story, with kindness at its heart, and with this team reassembled we’ve got the chance to create something even bigger, and more fun, than ever before.”

When and where

Dick Whittington and his Mousehole Cat runs from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 at the Cornwall Playhouse, Hall for Cornwall. Tickets start at £15 and are available from www.hallforcornwall.co.uk.

Edward Rowe knows the building well. Born in Roche, he has become one of Cornwall’s leading storytellers across film, theatre, radio and comedy, from the BAFTA-winning Mark Jenkin film Bait to his Cornish-language films and his years touring as Kernow King. This December, the empire is rats, and the ambition is London.