The Express & Star's Alison Norton chats to some of the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre's panto stars as they prepare for this year's production of Sleeping Beauty.

Express & Star

Transcript

00:00Well Debra, welcome to Wolverhampton. It's wonderful to have you at the Grand Theatre this year in Panto.

00:05Have you played Wolverhampton before?

00:07No, I've never actually been to Wolverhampton before.

00:09You've never been here before?

00:11No, Bamps, are you alright?

00:13Bamps are great.

00:13I know everybody says that to me. I'm learning, I'm trying today.

00:17I'm not saying I've got it, you know, off yet, but I've got a little while.

00:21I've got a wee whale.

00:22A wee whale?

00:23I sticked with the ones I knew.

00:25Where are you from originally?

00:26I'm from Hull originally.

00:27Oh, yeah.

00:28Yeah, I'm from Hull. You wouldn't know though, would you?

00:31You wouldn't?

00:32No, it sort of went away when I moved away and it sort of just disappeared.

00:37Obviously you've enjoyed a very successful TV career.

00:41It's been not bad.

00:43Yeah?

00:43Not bad.

00:44Do you prefer...

00:45So far.

00:46So far.

00:47Do you prefer TV or do you prefer live theatre?

00:51Don't get me wrong, I do really love doing telly.

00:54I did a Father Brown this summer and that was very nice with Mark Williams.

00:57He must be from not too far from here, surely.

01:00Yes, he is.

01:00I think he's black country.

01:03Black country.

01:03Yes.

01:03I think so, yes.

01:05So today I will be mostly doing impressions of people from the black country.

01:09No, what?

01:11No.

01:12So, yeah, I do like telly.

01:15That was lovely to do, the Father Brown.

01:17But I like live because of the rapport with the audience, especially with comedy.

01:25And pantomime is comedy as well as everything else.

01:29Yes.

01:29And I love that.

01:30I love the rapport and I love the fact that they're interactive and they can join in.

01:33So even when I do my own show, which I do my own cabaret act and sometimes take it around

01:39as a tour or I've done tours, take it around theatres or I do corporates or cruises or what

01:45have you.

01:46I love the connection between myself and the audience because I always make sure that it

01:51is a little bit interactive.

01:53That I'm talking to them.

01:54And sometimes they're talking to me and I get them singing along.

01:58There's nothing better for me.

02:00Yes.

02:01That's where the magic is.

02:02Well, it's lovely to meet you, Danny.

02:04Thank you, Laura.

02:04I'll just say, first of all, you look amazing.

02:08I feel it.

02:08It's not fair that you've got that figure.

02:10You just look incredible.

02:12Do you know what?

02:13It's all an illusion.

02:14This isn't actually my figure.

02:15I've got about 15 pairs of tights on, load of foam down my neck.

02:19It looks good on the outside, but on the inside, it's rotten.

02:23Well, welcome to Wolverhampton.

02:26Have you played panto at Wolverhampton before?

02:28Never in Wolverhampton.

02:29It's my first time.

02:30I'm going to be living in the glorious, you're a city, right?

02:34We are a city.

02:35The glorious city of Wolverhampton for seven weeks.

02:38To be honest, I love that.

02:39I love exploring somewhere that, like, when am I ever going to say I'm going to live in

02:43Wolverhampton for seven weeks?

02:44I'm not, am I?

02:45So, to get to come and explore a new town, a new place, a new city, it's fab.

02:49And there are some lovely places to go.

02:51Are there?

02:51On the outskirts as well.

02:53So, make the best of your time while you're here.

02:55I will.

02:55And I love and explore.

02:56And you know what?

02:57When I came down initially for the photo shoot, I stayed for a couple of days.

03:01I went round the town centre.

03:03Everyone's dead nice and friendly.

03:04And that's what I like.

03:05Yeah.

03:06You know, I'm scouts.

03:07We like a friendly face.

03:08Yeah.

03:08Midlands are very friendly.

03:09I know.

03:10I love it.

03:11Good afternoon, gentlemen.

03:12Good afternoon, Harrison.

03:12It's lovely to see you both.

03:14Here we are again, going into panto.

03:17Can't believe where that 12 months has gone.

03:19Crazy.

03:19We say it every year, don't we?

03:20Well, it's a year next week, isn't it, since the last press call.

03:24Yeah.

03:24Unbelievable.

03:25It's flown by.

03:26Yeah.

03:27So, you've written the panto again this year.

03:29Yes.

03:29Yeah, we have.

03:31Has it been hard work?

03:32Yes.

03:33Yeah.

03:33When did you start the process, and how have you gone about it?

03:37February.

03:38Yeah, I'd say.

03:39Well, the synopsis went in last October.

03:42It went in around this time.

03:43Well, to be honest, we started talking about it, yeah, whilst we were still doing the other

03:46one.

03:46Yeah.

03:47Well, do we?

03:48Usually, with a libation.

03:50Always.

03:51Yes.

03:52And then...

03:53So, yeah, it would have been end of February, March, something like that, we started it.

03:57And we signed it off on Monday.

03:59Yeah.

03:59Because it's had many incantations, actually, what am I thinking of?

04:03I've no idea.

04:04Many versions, I mean, without it.

04:07Incantation?

04:08Is that a word?

04:08It is, but it's not that right word for that.

04:10No, that's music.

04:12Yeah.

04:12So, drag.

04:13Go on.

04:14Drag is a very unique art form.

04:17What made you choose drag?

04:19I don't know.

04:20I don't think you choose drag.

04:21I think drag chooses you.

04:23Yeah.

04:24You know, when I was a kid, I always wanted to be an actor, TV presenter, and kind of drag's

04:30brought that full circle.

04:32Yeah.

04:32And I don't think I'd have ever got to do those things had I not done drag.

04:35So, I think drag kind of chooses you, and like I say, it kind of forged your own path,

04:40you know?

04:41Yeah.

04:41And to have kids there, they're so natural.

04:45They just shout at them when they're encouraged.

04:47They shout at whatever they like, whatever they think, and they're so in it.

04:51You know, they really invest in the story, and they really love it, and I think that is

04:56the best magic of all.

04:58Yeah.

04:58Because, obviously, we didn't hear about, well, obviously, Danny until probably about

05:03May, but that was great, because we'd written Karabos at that point, and he just fits

05:08it perfectly.

05:09Oh, he does.

05:10You know what I mean?

05:10So, that wasn't a worry.

05:12But we didn't know about Deborah until later on, and the queen that we'd written was not

05:17the queen we'd rewritten.

05:18Right.

05:18Because, obviously, with Deborah and her incredible impressions, you know, it became

05:23a different character, didn't it?

05:24Yeah, but that's the beauty of what the Wolves Panto can do, where others can't, I think.

05:29You can write to order, you can write to your talent, and write to your assets, and I think,

05:34you know, that's hopefully what sets us apart a little bit.

05:38So, Queen Bertha of Bilstonia, nice to know, yes.

05:45Of course, she's very posh, and I think I'm just going to use an RP accent to make her as

05:53regal as possible.

05:54Well, yes.

05:55I have veered off doing an actual queen's voice, although I really rather lent to do

06:01the queen when she was with us.

06:02Of course, I'm the queen's court to watch now.

06:04Oh, yes, queen.

06:06That wouldn't carry very far.

06:08It doesn't project well, that one.

06:09No.

06:10So, yes.

06:12But the queen is strong and good and wise, and I think that's wonderful because we have

06:18a lot of characters, don't we, from Greek mythology and fairy tales and et cetera, et

06:22cetera, that are either strong women who are evil, you know, the wicked stepmother type

06:28characters, or you get the soft young ladies who are lovely.

06:34And the older ladies are usually the evil ones, and then the younger ladies are always

06:37sort of a bit weak and wet.

06:40But I think in this, it's been crafted so that the women are quite strong.

06:46So, Sleeping Beauty herself, she is strong, Aurora is strong, and her mother is warrior-like

06:51in her fierceness to protect her daughter, and I love that.

06:56So, Karabas is a fabulous role.

06:59Tell me all about her.

07:01She's wicked.

07:02She's evil.

07:03So, I think she's a bit lonely.

07:05She's very lonely.

07:07She's rich, and she looks incredible.

07:10And I think there's a lot of, without getting too deep about it, it's a panto list.

07:17It's going to be fun.

07:18I think, you know, ultimately, kids learn lessons from panto.

07:22And adults have a great time at all the rude things that the kids don't understand.

07:27And so, I think ultimately, it's going to be an amazing show.

07:29But the character herself, she's redeemable.

07:33You know, I want her to be likeable.

07:35I want you to love to hate her.

07:38And I think if you walk away saying, oh my God, I love Danny Beard doing that, and what a wicked queen.

07:45You know, those things are what I'd hope we can take off.

07:48Then you've done your job, haven't you?

07:49I hope so, yeah.

07:50Absolutely.

07:52And have you taken inspiration from pantos of the past?

07:56Or is it very current?

07:57Is it quite modern?

07:59What's the vibe of it?

08:00I think it's a bit of both, really.

08:01It's a bit of both.

08:01And I think the best pantos are a bit of both now.

08:04Yeah.

08:05But I think probably this is, dare I say, maybe the most contemporary pantos that we've been involved in.

08:11Yeah, certainly musically it's contemporary, more than the others really, isn't it?

08:15Yes, yeah.

08:16You know, I mean story-wise, it's the story is the story, isn't it?

08:19Of course.

08:20With a few twists.

08:22Well, quite a few twists, really.

08:24But it's a funny one, Sleeping Beauty, because of course she goes to sleep at the end of Act 1.

08:28And then usually isn't working up until Act 5.

08:32Sorry, scene 5 in Act 2.

08:35This one's seven and a half hours.

08:37That's the difference.

08:38It just felt like it when we read it.

08:40Lots of impressions from the Queen?

08:43I think it would be rude not to, don't you?

08:45So, I mean, the question, the trick is, you know, how are we going to do this?

08:49You know, why would a Queen be doing impressions?

08:53It's a bit strange, but why not?

08:55It's a pantomime.

08:56It's pantomime.

08:56Anything goes.

08:57Yeah, absolutely.

08:58So, hair, costumes, make-up.

09:01The works.

09:02What can we expect?

09:03Well, you can expect a lot of feathers.

09:06You can expect a lot of sequins, a lot of costume changes, and the odd surprise, actually.

09:12Obviously, you're both starring in the show as well.

09:14Can you tell me all about your characters?

09:17We can a bit, can't we?

09:18We don't want to ruin a couple of surprises, but this is my mother.

09:22Yeah.

09:22Oh.

09:23As I'm used to.

09:24Again.

09:25Yeah.

09:26Yeah, so I play Mary Fortune, who is a fortune teller, obviously, and you're Mickey Fortune.

09:32I'm Mickey Fortune, yeah.

09:34Mickey Fortune.

09:34So, is that kind of like the Buttons character, if you like?

09:39Yeah.

09:39Listen, we've not reverted much.

09:42I say we've not branched out much, but in terms of, you know, audiences can perhaps expect

09:49the usual nonsense and, you know, slapstick, comedy, slightly gormless looks, and, you know,

09:58quick-witted remarks.

09:59That's kind of what I bring, hopefully, to the show.

10:02But that's everything we want from Panto, isn't it?

10:04Yeah, I hope so, yeah.

10:05And, you know, it seems that the audience sort of get it, and I think, you know, we get them.

10:10So, hopefully, we get what they want.

10:11And have you worked with any of the cast before?

10:15No, I haven't.

10:16It's all brand new.

10:17It's all going to be brand new, yeah.

10:19But everybody seems to be lovely.

10:20Yeah, they are.

10:21So, I mean, you always knit together well as a cast.

10:24I've been very lucky, at least, myself, and I've never had a bad experience with a cast,

10:29so it should all be good.

10:31So, expect the unexpected, and I won't swear, but it will absolutely poo glitter.

10:38Okay?

10:38Expect it to poo glitter.

10:40Excellent.

10:41And it's lovely to sort of see that there's room for a dame and a drag queen within the

10:50same show.

10:50I think it's a great idea.

10:51Yeah, well, they're different territories.

10:53It's a totally different character.

10:55Yes.

10:56So, yeah, I think it's quite inspired, actually, looking at it.

11:00And certainly today, the way everything's come to be.

11:03We met Danny for the first time today.

11:04He's brilliant.

11:05You know, Ian and I both said, you just get a feel instantly.

11:10Yes.

11:11Whether it's going to work or not.

11:13Yeah.

11:13And I think.

11:14Oh, it's going to work.

11:15At this cast.

11:16It's going to work.

11:17We've got a cast of people.

11:18Whether it gels or not.

11:19Yeah.

11:20Who can, A, can do it, but B, are just good people.

11:24Yeah.

11:24And that's hugely important, you know.

11:26So I think I'm so looking forward to it.

11:28More after today.

11:29If you were to take on a serious role, as opposed to comedy, who would you like to play?

11:36Well, I think it's about time that we had a drama about Liz Truss and the 44 days and

11:43what led up to it and why it was only 44 days, all because of cheese and pork markets, probably.

11:53Yeah, maybe something like that or, you know, Thatcher's been played again, again and again.

11:59But really, you can never, ever get enough of the Iron Lady.

12:04Or was that, you can get too much of an Iron Lady.

12:08It's like Marmite, isn't she?

12:10She is.

12:10I do know I'm coming up out the floor.

12:12Oh, right.

12:13They call it a lift.

12:15I was hoping it was going to be a strong man with muscles, but it's not.

12:18It's a hydraulic system.

12:19Yeah.

12:20So hopefully it doesn't break down halfway through, because that'd be quite funny.

12:23But I just love all that magic of theatre, you know, all the smoke, the lights.

12:27Yeah, a big puff of smoke.

12:29Did you just call me a puff?

12:31I'm joking, I'm joking.

12:33I should have said clown, sorry.

12:35Oh, I can't.

12:36Say what you say, girl.

12:37Say what you say.

12:39Can you tell me about any special effects?

12:41Is there anything we should look out for?

12:42Yeah, there is.

12:43There's quite a big one at the end of Act 2, isn't there?

12:46A big one at the end of Act 2, but we don't really want to.

12:47We can't tell you what it is.

12:48Kill it.

12:49But you don't want to miss that.

12:50That is not the toilet break time.

12:52Not the time to go.

12:53No, not the toilet break time.

12:55Stay.

12:56Because, yeah, you don't want to miss that.

12:58It's a big moment.

13:00And there's some moments that are dressing comedy as well, but are still very, you know,

13:05quite spectacular.

13:06Yeah.

13:07At Wolverhampton, here we come.

13:08I'll see you at press night.

13:09You will see me at press night, honey.

13:11I'm getting nervous now.

13:13I know, it's not that far away, is it?

13:15No.

13:16I can't wait.

13:17I can't wait.

13:18I can't wait.

13:19I can't wait.

13:20I can't wait.

13:21I can't wait.

13:22I can't wait.

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