Playing Winston the cat in the Hey! Christmas Tree in Chichester

SussexWorld

Callum Balmforth takes to the Minerva Theatre stage in Chichester this Christmas as Winston the cat in the Hey! Christmas Tree, running from December 7-29, a new festive show aimed at three to seven-year olds.

Transcript

00:00Cool.

00:02Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Reports Editor at Sussex Newspaper.

00:06It's really lovely to speak to Callum, who is playing Winston the Cat, no less,

00:10in Hey Christmas Tree in the Minerva Theatre this Christmas.

00:13Now it sounds such a lovely piece, it sounds really beautiful

00:17and it's themes and it's going to be poignant and it's going to be festive.

00:20What makes it an appealing one for you to do?

00:22Why are you pleased to be in this this Christmas?

00:26For me, I'd say it is that gorgeous, magical feeling you get

00:31being with the people you love, that kind of just,

00:35it's that almost intangible, like, comfort and warmth and safety you feel.

00:41Just being able to create that, that kind of sort of very magical essence

00:44you get from that, like that you get from being with the people you love,

00:48finding a place you belong, being able to kind of create that feeling

00:52when you bring it to the stage, just being able to articulate that

00:55through stories, I think is just so gorgeous.

00:58It's what makes it truly special.

00:59It sounds lovely. And you are Winston the Cat now.

01:02You were saying something interesting about how you've approached

01:05embodying this cat. What would you be doing?

01:08So what I'd be doing, he's a funny cat.

01:12He's quite a very human...

01:14Every cat is funny.

01:15Sorry?

01:16Every cat is funny, isn't it?

01:17Every cat is funny. And that's the thing though, that's the funny thing.

01:21I don't know if you have cats, but I've had cats before and they just,

01:24they have so much personality, you know, they're so cheeky.

01:27Winston in particular, he's a very boisterous cat.

01:30He loves to show off, loves to sing, loves to dance

01:33and loves everything to be about him.

01:35So I will be doing lots of strutting around and scowling and smizing

01:41and singing and, and just having a jolly great, great time

01:46is what I'll be doing.

01:48And this, as we were saying, hints at some big, deep, important themes, doesn't it?

01:52But the point is, three to seven, is that a tough audience to,

01:57to work for, do you think, to grab, to retain their attention?

02:04Oh, sorry.

02:05How do you approach that age group?

02:08I think almost like any other,

02:11but then it's just the awareness of the attention span.

02:14Do you have more or have you lost it?

02:16But when it comes to story and nuances, I think it's actually,

02:20we don't appreciate how much they truly do pick up on, you know,

02:25they're kind of just little adults,

02:27but it's just more the thing of attention span, focus,

02:30keeping things very specific.

02:33So we know where the audience is, where they're looking,

02:36if they're distracted, if we've got them, if we've lost them.

02:39So that's, I'd say, where the main kind of difference is.

02:43But aside from that, it's kind of like playing for anyone else, really.

02:46It sounds lovely. And your first time in the Minerva then?

02:49First time in the Minerva, very exciting, very exciting to be here.

02:53What are the first impressions there then?

02:55First, gorgeous space, gorgeous.

02:57I saw a piece in there the other night and it's amazing,

03:02this kind of balance it has between being intimate, but also expansive.

03:06Like it's, I don't quite know how to put it other than that.

03:11And also no bad seats. That's something that's really nice.

03:14No bad seats in that theatre.

03:16Like you're sitting right at the back and still having a great time.

03:19Yeah.

03:20Absolutely brilliant. Well, really lovely to speak to you.

03:23Have a fantastic Christmas in the Minerva. Thank you for your time.

03:26Thank you very much. Have a very Merry Christmas, Phil.

03:29Awesome. Take care.

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