We were lucky enough to speak to some stars of the upcoming New Wimbledon Theatre pantomime, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, at the venue’s recent press launch. First up, we have presenter and star of stage and screen Matthew Kelly, who will be playing Snow White’s Nurse, and X Factor and musical theatre star Brenda Edwards as The Spirit of Pantomime.

Matthew, you’re well known for your TV presenting work, but your roots are in theatre and acting. What has been your most challenging role to date?

My most challenging role to date has been nearly every role I take on to be honest with you because every role I take on, I think, I’m getting so old now, I wonder if this is the one that’ll get me! Will I be able to remember all my lines? I suppose physically it was Noises Off, which I’ve just finished and will be going to the Phoenix Theatre after panto. I think verbally, probably The Dresser with Julian Clary, which I did about a year ago and I loved and adored because he’s [Julian] such a dear man. I think one of my favourites has been The Habit of Art by Alan Bennett. It’s about Alan Bennett by Alan Bennett about W.H. Auden and Benjamin Britten and cerebrally, it’s fantastic. We’re going to New York with it in April so that will be a challenge in itself!

Brenda, you’ve always had a love of singing and appeared on the X Factor in 2005. How did it feel to play your first West End role as Mama Morton in Chicago?

Oh my God, it’s amazing to play that role! It’s a phenomenal character and the musical is a classic that everybody knows. Everyone knows about jazz hands, even I knew about jazz hands before I went in to Chicago. So, it was a good role to go into because it was very poignant for teaching me theatre etiquette and how to be and how everything is to the letter. If there is any show that you are going to start in, Chicago is definitely one of them, it’s one of my favourites. Don’t ask me what my favourite is because I wouldn’t be able to tell you…but it’s one of my favourites.

What do you love about performing in panto that makes you come back year after year?

Matthew: Panto was the first show that made me want to go in to theatre. I was six years old and I went to the Ardwick Hippodrome in Manchester, on a works outing with my Dad, and I thought it was the most magical thing I had ever seen. I wanted to know what happened when the Chorus girls tap-danced into the wings. I didn’t want to be one of the kids dragged on at the end, I wanted to know what happened in the wings. Even now I sit side of stage and watch the magic that’s going on. Sitting there, in the darkness, where everything looks absolutely terrible, and watching the magic that goes on between the wings. The audience are laughing and clapping and cheering and they have no idea how it happens, but I do!

What do you love the most about being in panto?

Brenda: I love the joy of panto. I love that you can just be silly for a couple of hours but in your silliness, it’s bringing joy to so many people. I think that panto is for everybody. People say: ‘Oh, it’s nice to bring the family and bring the kids out, have some fun’, but really I think it’s the adults who want to come out and have some fun and they’re just bringing the children with them! There’s always a moral at the end of it, it’s about having hope and faith and everybody just having a little belief in themselves, that they can achieve. I can, I will, I shall, kind of attitude.

What can audiences expect from this year’s panto at the New Wimbledon Theatre?

Matthew: Well, the New Wimbledon has a reputation for being the next best thing to the West End. It’s always done marvellous shows. It’ll be my fifth pantomime here and Crossroads, which used to be Qdos, has a fantastic reputation. I have great costumes. Comedy will be high on the bill and they’ve got some fabulous musical acts. Ruthie Henshall is Queen of the Musical. Brenda Edwards has a stonking great voice and toured with my son in Hairspray for eighteen months; he adores her so he must be right. We’ve got Lee Mead who is a wonderful singer and they’ll be me with a massive great big frock and wig. That’s what you’ll get from me because I am playing Nellie Night Nurse, that famous character in Snow White and I’m classically trained!

What are you looking forward to most about the Christmas season?

Brenda : This Christmas is not going to be a great one, so I’m just looking forward to the panto really. I’m looking forward to doing the panto and taking my mind off a lot of things and just having my spirits raised as well as trying to raise everyone else’s spirits. [Huge love to Brenda from the whole WEBF team <3]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs plays at the New Wimbledon Theatre from 3-31 December, with tickets available here.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when we speak to Ruthie Henshall and Hannah Lowther about their roles in the show.