EastEnders star Shane Richie has landed a new role in the upcoming production of Dick Whittington. The popular pantomime will take place at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in Devon, with shows running across the Christmas period and into the new year.

According to The Sun, Richie, who plays Alfie Moon on the BBC soap, will star in the lead role on stage from 12 December until 10 January. But while the actor will be taking a short break from filming on EastEnders, Alfie won’t be disappearing from our screens for very long.

Richie’s pantomime commitment will fall during the soap’s Christmas break, which will see filming halted during the festive season.

This means landlord Alfie will likely remain behind the bar of The Queen Vic, as he and his wife Kat preside over the drama in the Square.

BBC

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Meanwhile, next week’s episodes will see Kat and Alfie continue to unravel Zoe Slater’s troubling past, following her tumultuous return.

After their recent showdown with the villainous Greg, the Slater-Moon clan try to find out more information about Zoe’s shady history away from the Square. However, Zoe remains quiet about her ordeal, leaving the whole family worried and frustrated.

BBC

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Executive producer Ben Wadey previously explained how Zoe’s return would cause friction for the Slaters, as they struggle to reconnect after such a long estrangement.

“There’s 20 years there for them to try and recover and get to know each other. I think Kat’s been expecting one thing when Zoe would come back and actually, meeting your adult daughter is more complicated than perhaps Kat thinks,” he told Digital Spy.

“There’s a lot for them to get to understand about each other. Zoe has a lot of secrets that she’s going to bring into the Square with her. So the Slaters are in for a whole ride this autumn – and there’s a lot to kick off there.”