The King’s Head Theatre presents its first ever family pantomime, Cinderella, in its new and flexible 250-seat auditorium this Christmas. We spoke to Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK star Ella Vaday (Nick Collier) about their role as Peckham in the production.

Cinderella is a favourite pantomime title across the nation - why do you think audiences love this particular story so much?

I think as a pantomime, it has brilliant and very iconic characters such as the two Ugly Stepsisters, the handsome Prince, you have the girl (Cinderella) that goes from rags to riches and the Fairy-Godmother, who guides you to your wishes and dreams, so everyone in the audience can see a character they like to follow along the journey. And for the kids in the audience, it’s really inspiring to see Cinderella who is bullied come out on top and the Ugly Sisters get their comeuppance! 

This is the first time a pantomime has been put on at the King's Head Theatre. What makes it an ideal venue for panto?

I think the Kings Head Theatre is ideal as it takes panto back to its origins, which was just folks telling stories and entertaining people, and with a venue as intimate as this, you really feel a sense that you as an audience member are part of the story and that's what is very unique as you won’t find a pantomime like this anywhere in London! 

What was your first encounter with pantomime?

I can’t remember the first pantomime I saw as a kid but as a family, we would often go and see a panto around where I grew up in East Anglia. The main one was when I was a dancer in the Norwich Theatre pantomime when I was 14. Being in that panto inspired me to go into a career in the arts as I could not believe you could have so much fun in a job and get paid to do it! 

How important do you think pantomime is to the UK's theatre scene?

Panto goes back to Shakespearean times and it’s an English tradition that’s not seen anywhere else in the world. So many people overseas come to see panto during December and it often becomes a staple for many families during Christmas. It’s also a very important show for many theatres around the UK and brings together many theatre going communities up and down the country. I think it’s very important that panto continues because it something that everybody has seen and if you haven’t, you should! 

You rose to fame after taking part in RuPaul's Drag Race. What inspired you to take part, even after being part of many hit musicals?

I think doing the relentless eight-show week cycle of the same thing left me a little uninspired in life and I lacked creativity, so drag gave me the opportunity to be creative and have some control over what I wanted to create and perform on stage. This is what I love about doing drag; that it's all me, I decide how I look, what I sing, how I hold myself and that’s ultimately why I ended up going on Drag Race because it was lockdown, I was working stacking shelves and drag was my creative outlet, so I thought... why not… just go for it - and I did! 

When did you first venture into drag performance? What appealed to you about it?

I have watched Drag Race since it first started, many moons ago. I enjoyed the art form and how diverse it could be. I was part of MAD Drag Night when I was in The Book of Mormon and they asked me if I wanted to do it so I jumped at the chance as I did not have to do the makeup! And after that I just thought, I could do this, I could do the makeup and I started doing it once a year. When I left The Book of Mormon, I thought I could do this as a part-time job and earn some money in between acting jobs.  

What has been the highlight of your varied career so far, and what are some aspirations you still hold onto?

Being able to do a solo tour of Austria is something I thought would never happen and it was such an amazing and wonderful experience. Having a part in a film (Sumotherhood) that was shown in cinemas across the UK, I never expected that. And every opportunity that comes just blows my mind that I am able to do it. Aged 36, I never saw it coming! 

Why should families add the King's Head panto to their Christmas plans this year?

I think panto is so deeply rooted in British culture that kids should learn and experience what it is. Also, families are able to come as it’s a family-friendly show, there are jokes that the kids won’t understand and that the adults will chuckle to and equally, there are jokes that the kids will get that the adults will have no idea about! It’s a great way to introduce kids to the theatre at such a young age. 

Cinderella plays at the King’s Head Theatre until 5 January 2025, with further info here.