Editing Ann Widdecombe (section)

==Stage acting career==
Following her retirement, Widdecombe made her stage debut, on 9 December 2011, at the Orchard Theatre, [[Dartford]] in the Christmas [[pantomime]] ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', alongside ''Strictly Come Dancing'' judge [[Craig Revel Horwood]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-12626500|title=Ann Widdecombe to star in panto in Dartford|work=BBC News}}</ref> In April 2012, she had a ten-minute non-singing cameo part in [[Gaetano Donizetti]]'s comic opera ''[[La Fille du Regiment]]'', playing the Duchesse de Crackentorp.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17783927|title=Ann Widdecombe makes opera debut|work=BBC News}}</ref> Widdecombe reprised her pantomime performance, again with Horwood, at the Swan Theatre, [[High Wycombe]] in December 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wycombeswan.co.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=C3E6222D-6C32-4FA6-816D-BC022B374015|title=HQ Theatres|work=wycombeswan.co.uk}}</ref>

Widdecombe stepped in at short notice to play the [[Evil Queen]] in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', which was published by the [[Brothers Grimm]] in 1812, at [[Bridlington Spa]] in December 2016.  She replaced injured [[Lorraine Chase]].  This was Widdecombe's first appearance as a pantomime 'baddie'; a role she told the press she had always hoped for.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/widdecombe-quick-steps-in-to-save-the-show-1-8247077|title=Widdecombe quick-steps in to save the show|website=www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk|language=en|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref>

In December 2017 Widdecombe played the [[Empress of China]] in the pantomime ''[[Aladdin]]'' at the Marina Theatre in [[Lowestoft]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinatheatre.co.uk/production/marina-panto-2017-aladdin/|title=Marina Panto 2017: Aladdin – Marina Theatre|website=www.marinatheatre.co.uk|access-date=2 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202124600/http://www.marinatheatre.co.uk/production/marina-panto-2017-aladdin/|archive-date=2 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>