A summer of celebration is set to continue when a popular seaside show marks its 35th birthday in a riot of red, white and blue.

Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre's Seaside Special will add some razzmatazz to the mix when it hits the stage with show one, Pride – a Festival of Britain, on Saturday June 16.

Tying in with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics, stars old and new will showcase what is great about Britain with the traditional pot pourri of dance, music and variety acts.

This year's version of the Seaside Special, which is the last end-of-the-pier variety show in the country, is headlined by comedy magician Dain Cordean, alongside 'physical comic performer' Ben Langley, who lives at Shimpling, near Diss.

Dain first saw the Seaside Special in 1999 when it was headlined by his best friend Phil Butler. He said he harboured a dream of headlining the show, but spent more than a decade working on cruise ships.

He said: 'This is the first time that a magician has been asked to top the bill, so I'm delighted.'

He will be joined during his act by his assistant and wife Sophie. He said: 'There is a certain clientele and a certain set of expectations here.

'People expect good, clean family fun – cheeky but not rude. Because of the 35th birthday we are trying to bring a little bit of Vegas to Cromer.'

Ben wrote sketches for the Seaside Special Christmas shows for two years. He tried for a while to 'get in' as a performer before getting his big break this year.

He said he was 'very excited' by the challenge.

The pair will be joined by fellow Cromer debutant Karina Grigorieva, whose hand balancing act was honed with Moscow State Circus.

Male vocalist Rob McVeigh returns from last year, while female vocalist Sophie Bloom is back after appearing in Cromer in 2010.

Show two, which begins on Saturday June 30, is called Galleria and tells the story of a Cromer resident who wins �188m on the EuroMillions and commissions Lord Foster to build an art gallery in the town to rival the Louvre and the Tate Modern.

This year, Seaside Special runs for longer than ever, with the closing night – the best of Seaside Special 2012 – on Saturday September 29.

For tickets, call the box office on 01263 512495.

steve.downes@archant.co.uk