Call the Midwife star Helen George is taking a break from Trixie Aylward this festive season to join a TV icon on stage.
George has been announced as part of the cast of a Cinderella panto playing from 6 December through to 4 January next year at Richmond Theatre.
The Trixie star is set to play the Fairy Godmother, with West End and Broadway star Charlie Stemp as Buttons and beloved fox Basil Brush, described by Richmond Theatre as a “TV icon” on Instagram, as Baron Brush.
The three stars are the first to be revealed in the panto cast, with more names to follow in due course.
Meanwhile, George is expected to reprise the role of Trixie in the upcoming season 15 of Call the Midwife, bringing Nonnatus House into the 1970s with some of the characters joining the Women’s Liberation Movement marches.
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The new series, expected in early 2026, will be preceded by a 2025 two-part Christmas special, set in Hong Kong as well as Poplar.
Fans of the show will also be treated to more Nonnatus House stories in a prequel series and a sequel film.
Olly Courtney//BBC
The prequel will be set in Poplar during World War II, telling tales of the Blitz in the East End. As for the movie, plot details remain scarce at present, but it’s known to be taking place in 1972, with the show’s “iconic characters” temporarily relocating overseas.
Weighing in on the new stories for the screen in a statement, Call the Midwife creator and writer Heidi Thomas said: “The opening of new doors at Nonnatus House feels profoundly emotional, and yet just right.”
Call the Midwife airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more Call the Midwife news on our dedicated homepage
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).