Gareth Gates made a promise to the county as he led the cast of Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre pantomime launch.

The singer and actor, who has sold more than 3.5 million records in the UK, will play a cheeky Prince who is "more Prince Harry than Prince William" when the show gets underway.

Gareth, 27, was joined outside the theatre in Canterbury on Monday, June 25, by punk princess and actress Toyah Willcox and CBeebies’ Katrina Bryan from Nina and the Neurons.

He has done pantomime three times before, playing the Prince in Cinderella and Snow White, but it was his role in Aladdin last year which caught the attention of Evolution Productions, who have brought him to the Marlowe.

"I think they liked my comedy, so let’s hope there is quite a bit of that in this year’s production," said Gareth.

"Aladdin is a different show, where the lead is a cheeky chappy but I think they want me to bring that through to this show.

"They don’t want me to always be the regal Prince but be a bit more of a boy about town.

"More Prince Harry than Prince William."

Gareth will already have had plenty of time to get to know his co-star Faye Brooks, who plays Sleeping Beauty, as the pair are starring in the UK tour of Legally Blonde together this summer.

Completing the cast are Marlowe favourite Ben Roddy – a veteran of three Marlowe pantomimes – as the Dame and Kent-born comedian Lloyd Hollett as the Storyteller.

Toyah Willcox, who has a home in Canterbury, has only had one Christmas off from panto since her first one in 1993. This will be her seventh Marlowe Theatre pantomime.

She said: "It’s a great Christmas tradition which you get nowhere else in the world.

"It is a time for the family to be together. I love it. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t do panto."

Sleeping Beauty is at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, from Friday, November 30 to Sunday, January 20, 2013.