IT’S PANTO TIME!
Okay, we know what you’re thinking: it’s absolutely not panto time. It’s July. How can we possibly be considering frilly dresses, princesses, fairies and the like when it’s 30 degrees outside and there isn’t a thigh-slap in sight? Well, the brains behind the Grand Opera House’s legendary pantomimes gathered together the cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – and we called in to have a chat with them.
Starring as the title character, Snow White, is newcomer Louise Henry. Actually, while she’s a newcomer to the professional world of theatre, many of you will remember her as Liesl in York Stage Musical’s recent production of The Sound of Music.
“I was away travelling last year, listening to Anastasia the Musical, and I just wanted to sing out loud for the whole thing. When I was in Australia I saw the call for the Sound of Music audition so I sent a self-tape to York Stage Musicals who were doing it, and luckily got Liesl.”
Modest Louise certainly didn’t expect the success she’s had. “Because I wasn’t [at the auditions] I didn’t think I’d get it, but I thought ‘well at least they’ve seen me, they might keep me on their radar’. It was the director that sent me the audition [for Snow White]. There were so many girls that had the black hair, pale skin and red lips and I was like ‘shall I just go home?!’ I thought to myself that I’m not going to get it so I might as well enjoy the day – because it’s all experience. Some of the girls were so fantastic and knew their stuff – they’d had training. I’ve only done amateur stuff and shows at school, so I totally didn’t expect it.”
Louise will be joined on stage by seasoned professionals Vicki Michelle (‘Allo ‘Allo, Emmerdale); Mark Little (Neighbours); regular dame Steve Wickenden; magic man Martin Daniels; and Jonny Muir.
PART OF THE FAMILY
Steve’s performed in panto and shows all over the country, but has become a firm favourite as the makeup-laden dame here in York. “It always feels like coming home when I come back to York. It’s so nice to know you’ve done something right when audiences see you again and respond positively,” he says. As a York panto regular, Steve also knows how much hard work goes into it. “It’s an intensive seven days of rehearsals. And because you’re there every day it feels like you’ve been doing the show for a lot longer than you actually have.”
While you might think that York is thousands of miles away from home for Neighbours star Mark Little, he’s actually lived in the UK for 25 years. “I’ve not done a panto in York, but I’ve been through here with my one-man shows and Taboo, the Boy George musical,” he explains. “York’s gorgeous, I love York. When my family and I first came to Britain, we ended up in Swaledale, North Yorkshire. I arrived and didn’t realise how big Neighbours was. Because of the two-year lag I’d finished the show, but over here there were still two years of Joe Mangel left. It went ballistic. I was being chased out of supermarkets! So we were offered this farm house out in the middle of nowhere, near Richmond. [North Yorkshire] was a great introduction to this country. York’s going to be a nice place to spend Christmas.”
And Mark’s passionate about panto for reasons beyond the normal frivolity. “A lot of kids have never seen theatre before. We’re trying to drag kids out of a virtual device and into something that’s actually real. If I can do that as a performer then I think I’ll have achieved something.”
THERE’S MORE TO PANTO… OH YES THERE IS
Mark also believes that there’s an underlying ‘power’ that engaging in a panto can give to children. “Panto’s job, once upon a time, was to mock the powers that be. The good must triumph over evil. What I do with my baddies is make them a bit unhinged – not too evil. It’s like a fight with my kids: ‘you stink’, ‘no you stink’. The more aggravated I get the more they give it – the more I call them stinkers the more they call me stinkers. There’s this great fight that, by the end of the night, they win.
“It’s about teaching kids that the more noise you make, people will hear you. The more you will win. The great thing about panto is kids are allowed to make noise and stuff they’re not allowed to do at school. An experience has been had. Long live panto!”
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from Friday 13th December until Saturday 4th January, with various performance times, at the Grand Opera House York. Click here to buy tickets.
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