Celebrating pantomime producer Robert Hopkins
Robert's passion for theatre began at a young age when he got involved with Cub Scout gang shows. He quickly moved into amateur dramatics, landing the role of the 'The Artful Dodger' in a local production of Oliver, before going on to train at The Central School of Speech and Drama. He made his West End debut in Barnum at the London Palladium with Michael Crawford, later performing with Topol in Fiddler On The Roof at the Apollo Victoria.
His association with the Princes Hall began in 1994, when he starred in Jack and the Beanstalk alongside his BBC Playdays partner, Ricky Diamond. The following year he was invited back, not only to star in Babes In The Wood, but also to produce, write and direct the production.
Roberts’ productions consistently achieve critical acclaim, including being listed as one of the best UK pantomimes by The Stage Newspaper in 2016/17.
2024 marked Robert's milestone anniversary of thirty consecutive productions of our magical pantomimes. His energy, warmth and humour continue to shine, and he has firmly established himself as an Aldershot panto legend. Robert, we salute you!
