Lewes is a villain for the first time in Portsmouth's Easter panto

SussexWorld

Easter panto this year comes in the shape of Robin Hood, with panto regular Lewes Roberts relishing the thought of stepping into the villain's shoes for the first time.

Transcript

00:00Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Lovely to

00:06speak, as I often do, to Lewis Roberts. Now, Lewis, you're back in Panto. Easter Panto

00:11is Robin Hood. It's at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, and the new Theatre

00:16Royal in Portsmouth, which just happened to be two of your favourite venues. What makes

00:20those two places so special? And you, too, feel privileged to be doing them both on this

00:25tour.

00:26Absolutely. I mean, these are two theatres that, in Christmas' past, I have done pantomimes

00:32in both of those theatres. Last year, I was at the new Theatre Royal in Portsmouth doing

00:36Beauty and the Beast, and the year before that, I was at the Devonshire Park in Eastbourne.

00:40And they are, I mean this wholeheartedly, they are my two favourite theatres I've ever

00:44performed in.

00:45So what is it about them? What have they got?

00:48The architecture, the space, there's something special about those places, and the history,

00:53I think. As soon as you walk in, as an audience member, the grand design, but that intimate

00:59space as well that you share, there is something that feels special. I think that when you're

01:04there, it's not like going to the cinema, you know. As soon as you walk in, there is

01:08a certain feeling that you feel like, you know what, I'm here now, I'm at the theatre,

01:12there's a different thing about that. I think you need that. If you're going to go and spend

01:16the money, buy the ticket, and come out to see a great show, once you walk in, having

01:20that feeling of being like, right, I'm at the theatre, I'm out on a night out, it's

01:23a wonderful feeling.

01:24It sounds great. And this is Jordan Productions again, and it's a production team that you

01:28know really well, but you're stepping into new territory, aren't you? And I'm a little

01:32bit worried, as you are overly excited at playing a baddie for the first time. Why is

01:37that such a thrilling prospect for you?

01:40Listen, Phil, baddies have more fun. Baddies always have more fun. And that will never

01:46have been more true than in our production of Robin Hood. The Sheriff of Nottingham,

01:50people know the story, we all know Robin Hood, and the Sheriff is totally theatrical

01:54in the way that he is written, and certainly will be in the way that he's played. I've

02:00obviously played the princes and the goodies in years gone by. And so I've, I have always,

02:07I must say, I must admit, I've always been itching to get my feet into some baddie shoes.

02:11And this Easter, you know, I finally have my chance with the Sheriff. And I've got a

02:16lot that I've been storing up just for this performance.

02:19How villainous can you be? How far can you push it, do you know?

02:25I think I can go pretty far. I think I can go pretty far. And what's wonderful about

02:28Panto is that every night is different. Every night is different. And you know, you always

02:33depends on that last character turning up, which is the audience. And so no two shows

02:39are the same. And that's massively true for this cast as well. So anyone that's seen our

02:44shows before, that has been to see the Easter Pantomimes, Rapunzel last year, The Little

02:49Mermaid the year before, will know that this company, which they'll recognise from those

02:54shows, Tom and they, they hold no, they hold nothing back. And every night is very different.

03:01And every night is very playful.

03:02Fantastic. Well, lovely to speak to you again. Good luck with your villainy. I'm sure you'll

03:07enjoy it. Thank you.

03:09Thank you very much.

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