This year’s Christmas pantomime at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne is another offering from Artistic Director Chris Jordan. For 2013 he presents the fun-filled family favourite, Aladdin, with Shaun Williamson, who will always be remembered as Barry Evans in Eastenders, headlining the cast as the evil Abanazaar.
At the recent panto launch I asked Shaun:
This is a return to Eastbourne for you, isn’t it?
Yes, I was lucky enough, about three years ago, to play the part of Fletcher in the touring production of Porridge. I am still only the second man ever to have played Norman Stanley Fletcher and I’m very proud of that fact and I remember at the time seeing a poster for the panto here. I’d had a really good week and, when you have a nice week on tour, and your digs are good and the town is nice, you really don’t want to leave and I remember looking at that poster and thinking how nice it would be to have a couple of months down here – and here I am.
You’re no stranger to the world of Pantomime are you?
Oh no, this is the fourteenth panto for me and the sixth time I’ve played Abanazaar. Unfortunately we weren’t really given the opportunity to pantomimes when we were appearing in Eastenders although, having said that, when I first joined the show I was one of the last people to do one as it was shortly after I joined when they decided to stop people doing them.
It’s not like these days when you see cast members on dance shows or out in the jungle and then, all of a sudden, they are back in the show, there were very few chances to do anything else if you were in Eastenders, which is one of the reasons why I left it, to be honest. I always wanted to do other things and I often think that, if they had let me go of for a couple of months each year to do other projects, I would probably still be in it now.
Is Abanazaar the ultimate panto baddie?
You know I think you’re right that Abanazaar is the classic baddie, and probably at the top along with the Wicked Queen in Sleeping Beauty. He’s great to play and, because he always get his come-uppance, he’s a lot of fun. I do prefer playing the baddie to maybe the Buttons character because it’s all done with a nod and a wink and, to be frank, it’s great to be able to scream at children – legally! No, it’s terrific and it’s nice to be able to come out and frighten them but, at the end, they get to see that you’re just a big old “softee” really.
Martyn Knight retains his position as Eastbourne’s Favourite Dame, by slipping into the heels and outrageous frocks of Widow Twankey. At the panto launch he was looking spectacular in a huge dress with a washing line headdress and I asked him:
What are panto rehearsals like, are they chaos?
Oh yes, because you start to do something and then someone will suddenly go “Hang on, I’ve got an idea, why don’t we try this?” and sometimes it actually works and we add it in and other times you’re just there thinking, “Come on, get on with it!”
So when you’re given the script, that’s not it?
No, that’s just the beginning! It’s the foundations and, between us, we all work on it. Someone will want this in and another might suggest putting that in and, even after we open we continue to mould things. We chop some bits out and add some different bits in.
You always seem to have a fantastic array of costumes.
Oh yes, I’m very lucky. Shelley and Sam, our head costume designers and their team of costume makers bring me some fantastic creations every year and I am sure this year will be just the same. I am really looking forward to seeing what they have come up with for me to wear.
Back by popular demand after his debut performance last year, in Sleeping Beauty, is Tucker who will be playing Wishee-Washee. We had a short chat and I asked him:
I saw you last year, are you glad to be back?
Oh yes, most certainly! I’ve done pantomime for many years and it was my first year, last year, with Chris Jordan and there is just so much content in the show and in the script that it’s lovely to work with, and Chris is always open to ideas and so it’s a lot of fun, a really good time.
It does seem to offer the “whole package”
You see, a lot of pantos say “Oh, we can’t give THAT time” or “We can’t do THAT” but Chris really is a great one for the detail. I said it last year, normally we just “get on and do it” but he puts loads of little funny songs, or dances, all the little bits that go to make it what it is and you only really realise what those bits are when you see a panto without them.
Is there a future for Pantomime?
I think that, as long as there are Grandparents, as long as there are proud Mums and Dads, as long as there are young children who will be experiencing theatre, possibly for the first time ever, there will always be room for a good family Pantomime because it is magical. When the parents see the kids enjoying the show and the Grandparents get a chance to see the whole family together and having fun, it’s priceless.
Next I talked to Aladdin, played by Charlene Ford, who has a wealth of musical theatre credits to her name including Lina Lamont in Singing in the Rain, Mrs Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Meg Giry in the follow up to Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies.
Principal Boy played by a Principal Girl, it seems to be a dying tradition.
It’s really good that Eastbourne likes to keep to the tradition that the two principal parts should be for the girls to play, which is panto as it was traditionally done and I think it’s fantastic that the Devonshire Park keeps that flame alight.
For the first time this year I will be bringing my son and I will be interested to see how he reacts to the Aladdin and Princess love story, with both characters played by women.
I think there are so many examples in casting that are not as one would expect. No one seems to worry that the Dame is a man and, take for instance the Disney movie Robin Hood, where Robin is played by a fox – kids have never challenged that. The other thing is that we can easily become a real fantasy hero and as long as the story is there to carry everything along, children won’t question it.
Is it nice to be playing a local theatre for Christmas?
I can’t wait, I am so excited to be here in Eastbourne because, originally I am from Bexhill – just down the road – so I am thrilled to be back on the South Coast. I started dancing when I was three and I used to do lots of competitions here in the Winter Gardens and I’ve performed at the Congress Theatre and now I’ll be on stage at the Devonshire Park. I called my Mum and told her that I’m “coming home” for Christmas and she has never been so excited.
Finally I spoke to producer, Chris Jordan, about the things that make Eastbourne pantomime productions so special and the formula he uses to make sure that they stay special.
Are you going to be able to top last year’s pantomime?
Well it’s always good when you get a brand new set, and costumes and we do have a whole set of brand new costumes being designed, but I think the two key elements that will make Aladdin stand out are the “Flying Carpet”, which is a lovely illusion to have included, and also the “Cave Transformation” which is quite spectacular and we will be using technology that has never been used in that venue before to create that.
I think that one of the most important things about Pantomime, and the main reason that our productions are so “full on” is that you have to keep it “bubbling along” and because we are appealing to such a wide audience, if you keep it silly and fast-moving then if there is a bit that maybe someone is not so keen on it’s ok, because there will be something else along in a minute and it keeps everyone’s momentum going.
Aladdin is the 12th in-house pantomime production for Eastbourne Theatres and the show will be packed with the trade-mark ingredients, a live band, stunning costumes and corny gags.
Tickets for all performances of Aladdin, from December 13th 2013 – January 13th 2014 are already selling fast and can be purchased from the Devonshire Park Theatre box office on 01323 412000 or online at www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk with prices from just £12.00 to £20.00.
