Reporter Richard Hunt meets the cast of Blackpool Grand Theatre's Cinderella panto

Blackpool Gazette

Transcript

00:00Richard Hunt at the Blackpool Gazette. I'm with Hayley Tamerden and Kitty Harris who are starring

00:06in Blackpool Grand's panto of Cinderella. So if you could tell us who you're playing in this

00:12particular show. I'm Hayley and I play the Fairy Godmother. I'm Kitty and I play Cinderella.

00:20Tremendous and is this the time you've both performed at this particular theatre in this

00:24panto at Christmas time? Oh gosh I think we've both been on this stage numerous times as kids

00:32and then I've done lots of different musicals where I've come to the Blackpool Grand

00:36and this is my second panto at the Grand as an adult and I'm thrilled to be back it's amazing.

00:45Yeah it's my first yeah I've done like you know one night shows here but I've never done like a

00:51season so it's nice to do a season here. And what's it like performing in that particular

00:55theatre? It's a beautiful theatre isn't it? Gorgeous it's a matching we're so lucky we

00:59are to have a theatre like this in Blackpool it's beautiful. Absolutely it was gonna be

01:03like a music box. You what sorry? It's like a music box I think it's so pretty all the detail

01:08with all the ornate nature of it yeah it was going to be knocked down at one stage and replaced

01:12with some sort of car park a few years back so good job dad saved it hey that's the story.

01:18It's going to be a Woolworths apparently.

01:23Now how's it performing in a panto what's what's the enjoyable thing about performing in a panto

01:27at Christmas time would you say first Hayley what would you say? Panto is magical because everyone

01:33can get involved with pantomime it's not just something the adults can come to it's the whole

01:37family you know two year olds to 92 year olds or 102 year olds even everybody joins in everybody

01:44loves it and I love that audience participation it's magical fantastic basically the same as

01:49Hayley obviously it's nice to see everybody and it's it's a tradition isn't it you know

01:53yeah pantomime goes back a few years so it's nice to keep doing that every year

01:57it's part of my Christmas for sure yeah what would you say about your respective roles in

02:02this particular one Hayley what would you say about your character oh I love playing the fairy

02:05godmother I I yeah I don't want to play mean character I think one day they'll ask me will

02:11I be a baddie and I'm gonna have to say yes for now I'm very happy being the fairy tremendous Kitty

02:17what would you say about yours yes I love Cinderella she is definitely my favourite

02:21character to play in a pantomime because you know she she's always on stage so you never

02:26really get bored um I have to be honest and uh yeah she's just great everybody knows the story

02:32you know you kind of know where you're going with Cinderella and it's always a nice surprise

02:35uh when you go to the ball etc absolutely tremendous thanks for your time appreciate

02:40that that's lovely Steve Royal I'm playing the character of Bottons in Cinderella I'm Tara Joseph

02:46and I'm playing the ugly sister Harmony and I'm Jamie Morris and I'm playing the other ugly uh

02:53Melody Hardrop absolutely tremendous this is Maggie I was going to ask you about she's not

03:00she's not in it she's just the mascot so what it is I was going to ask you each what is it about

03:06panto that you particularly enjoy Steve you've been doing this for a long time you love it every

03:10year people love the show what what is it from your perspective what what's good about being

03:15in a panto is it gets to entertain all generations all at once and it's a rare privilege to be able

03:23to do a show like that there aren't many shows that cater for the 106 year olds to the six year

03:28olds and it's great to see us to be able to entertain and also the it's a skill as well

03:34skilled to be able to do that to be able to um you know entertain the old ones at the same time as

03:39you're entertaining the kids with a bit of slapstick or whatever so that's why I love doing it

03:43yeah because there are two two different audiences aren't there really but to be able to combine that

03:47at the same time in one show it's it's a skill but it's also a real treat when you do get the

03:53smiles and the laughs from all generations yeah tremendous okay so yeah this is my this

03:59has been my 15th panto wow uh uk p.m i think this is my fourth fourth cinder fourth is it

04:06third third or fourth third or fourth cinderella um and i just love it absolutely love it i love

04:12to see little kids faces and like you said steve people of all generations and ages

04:18going home with a smile on their face and you know all the adults acting like little kids yeah

04:23that's always nice and that's just the audience members

04:30i'm like a veteran like you now aren't i how many have you done in total in total this is my 29th

04:36panto christmas you do more 29th that's mine i'm 28 playing ugly sister there's only ever one

04:43other that i've not played sister it was only four when he started

04:47yeah um so yes we're 28 panto uh 29th and 28th playing ugly sister um i love it that

04:56it's i think it's only the one time of the year where families come out as a family together

05:02yeah um i mean let's face it not many families sit around a table and have a family meal anymore

05:06so it's nice time of year to get all the families together all the generations your grandmas your

05:11mums and dads the kids they all come together it's the kids first time being introduced to

05:16theatre as well and it's just a magical time and whatever state we're feeling in whether

05:24we're feeling a bit poorly a bit hoarse whatever as soon as you walk on the stage the reaction

05:30from the audience just lifts you and for two and a half hours you feel on top of the world

05:34wow and how many how many of these have you done steve now i i think i've done 26 panto

05:4121 here wow that's phenomenal i must be getting old because

05:46you've got marketing management figures like you wouldn't know he won't remember he's that old

06:01who cares about maths it doesn't matter does it maths i don't know and uh in terms of this show

06:06how long is it going to continue until just to give people a chance to come and see it

06:10well this one's on to the 6th of january isn't it this one it's uh fifth well i meant

06:15but you're just happy there's another day no no what i meant is it like finishes

06:19i'll be home on the 6th right the 5th is the last day yes i'll be on a plane on the 6th of january

06:26oh really where are you going crankin area is that for a holiday or for a show oh just

06:31definitely holiday ah you'll probably need it excellent thanks anything else to add

06:35there's still tickets available yes absolutely so call us on the box office number not many

06:40before christmas but after christmas but you'll probably get better seats than i'm imagining

06:45but uh you see i it nearly sold out before christmas way to sneak in you just go yeah

06:50have a check so check out the tickets yes the kids will love it as well it's got two gorgeous

06:56white chetland ponies and we have the chetland ponies as well the real ones absolutely fantastic

07:01right it's

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