Launching SLEEPING BEAUTY at New Victoria Theatre Woking
All photos: Ian Olsson
As Autumn approaches, our attention turns to Christmas and the traditional theatrical family entertainment of pantomime. All around the country, venues are staging photo calls to promote their headline cast and give tickets sales a vital push in this critical period for the financial viability of so many venues, as well as providing that first visit for so many young children to the theatre. We were invited down to Horsley Court in Surrey for the photo call of the New Victoria Theatre, Woking production of Sleeping Beauty to meet the stars.
When you see the poster, it is always exciting to see three big names above the title with the promise of them combining to create first-class entertainment with wide appeal and the show’s producers, Crossroads Pantomimes, have certainly delivered that this year for the theatre. Three performers, each a legend in their own fields with huge experience of theatre spanning many years, promise a first-class show of comedy, song and magic.
Christopher Biggins has performed in panto every year since his debut in Darlington in 1976, except for 2007 when he was in the seventh series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! and that has established him as a national treasure and leading connoisseur of pantomime. At the young age of 76, he may now find the demands of a 12-show week, 4 week run, too much to play the Dame with its frequent costume changes on which he built his career, but his bubbly personality and comic timing makes his presence a joy for any show. He told us that he “loves the saucy innuendo of pantomime where the adults laugh first knowingly, and their children don’t know what they are laughing at but enjoy the moment too”. This year as the Spirit of the Dreams, as last year as the Man in the Mirror in Southampton, he will make most of his entrances flown in from the wings stage right as is required by the genre for the good mystical being. It will allow him to conserve his energy for the rapid ”six-minute multi costumed entrances interrupting the traditional If I Were Not Upon The Stage’ routine. This was a highlight of the 2023 season, not just in Southampton but in all of the pantomimes we saw last year. As Christopher told us “I have never heard laughter like it in the theatre as when I make the last of those entrances in that routine.” Look out too, once the Woking run finishes, for a guest appearance as King John in the Palladium pantomime! He remains the King of Pantomime.
As always, Biggins has lots of stories from his long career, reminding us that long before he reached his legendary status, he was a serious actor. In the early seventies, he was in an RSC production of London Assurance with Judi Dench and Donald Sinden, and recalled that “during the run, Judi got married to Michael Williams and on the walk down, the cast showered them both with confetti to her surprise.” That was followed up by at her last performance in the run when “Sinden surprised her by getting Princess Grace of Monaco who appeared from his dressing room toilet to present her with a leaving gift.”
An essential element of any successful pantomime is the music and Woking has Faye Tozer from Steps as Carabosse this year, so we can expect to hear her hits including ‘Tragedy’, ‘Better Best Forgotten’ and ‘It’s The Way You Make Me Feel’. But she has gone to establish herself as a theatrical star in such shows as Tell Me on a Sunday, Me and My Girl, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and is currently finishing her role in 101 Dalmatians as Cruella De Vil. She told us that “Cruella is a much more wicked character than Carabosse, but I love playing the villain and getting all the boos and enjoy surprising people as the baddie.” We asked her what is harder, touring with Steps, rehearsing and live TV of Strictly Come Dancing (2018), or 12 shows a week in pantomime. The answer was not a surprise: “When touring, the graft is in rehearsing, thereafter it is like a night out with mates celebrating; Strictly, you are looked after so well with amazing costumes, it was wonderful; Pantomime is the toughest. It is very physical, and you need to sleep and eat well to sustain the energy levels.” She told us that another of the special joys of pantomime are the relaxed performances where those with special needs can go and watch the show without judgment and the parents can relax and share the enjoyment.
Completing the headliners is Richard Cadell, with Sooty as Muddles. Cadell is also directing this year, no doubt with Sooty giving him a helping hand. The Sooty story is extraordinary as he celebrates 75 years entertaining families since Harry Corbett first discovered him in Blackpool, and Richard has been his guiding hand for around a third of that time, now owns all the rights but firmly believes in the protection of the heritage of character. Nostalgia is part of the appeal with grandparents and parents taking their kids to see the act. He told us “it thrills me to present routines that they remember. I still present a sketch, putting Sooty to bed, using word for word those used by Harry Corbett.” He confirmed Sooty will appear in his camper van on stage which has been used for over thirty years on stage and on TV. He revealed that Sooty is slightly bigger on stage, but the real secret of the stage show success is to ensure that there is little other movement on stage, so the audience focuses on the bear. Also in the cast is Brenda Longman as the Queen, a lesser well-known name but a voice we know as Sooty’s friend, Soo the Panda, for 43 years. We have to wait and see what mischief she adds to the narrative.
Of course, Sooty is a magician with his catchphrase “Izzy wizzy, lets get busy”, and that is how the two were first matched up as Richard is a top illusionist, a gold star member of the inner magic circle. He will present big illusions in the pantomime again this year, integrating them into the narrative with his wonderful first magical appearance astride a motorbike and the death-defying mid-air chain saw escape. These spectacular illusions have been highlights of his pantomimes for years. With Sooty, he did take a break from pantomime when they spent Christmas from 2011 to 2017 in West End Sooty shows and Winter Wonderland, but they are a perfect combination for panto and long may they continue to dazzle and engage us each Christmas.
This promises to be one of the best shows of the season with magic and illusion, comedy and song, classic routines (with a twist) and Cadell promises the song sheet with kids from the audience. This last essential element has disappeared in some shows post-Covid but provides wonderful impromptu comic moments and lasting memories for the kids and their families lucky enough to go on stage. It is that combination of elements and those moments that make pantomime special, a uniquely British experience and live theatre at its best where families share the joy and magic and hopefully start a lifelong long love of live theatre,
Until then, we leave you with one last message “Bye bye everybody, bye bye“ until 6 December when Sleeping Beauty opens at the New Victora Theatre in Woking, with tickets available here.
Nick Wayne