The stars of this year's pantomime at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle were all on fine form on Monday following last-minute rehearsals ahead of opening night.
Joe McElderry is again joining the theatre's regular panto team led by Danny Adams and Clive Webb and is all set for his role of Fairy Godfather in Cinderella which first has a dress rehearsal run-through - to a full house - before its official launch on Tuesday. The singer-songwriter is making a comeback for a second season, following last year's success in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, so he knows what to expect at the hands of madcap duo Clive and Danny who this year celebrate their remarkable 17th year in Theatre Royal panto.
"He's got a lot of singing!" says Danny, during a brief break in rehearsals, and the trio's on-stage chemistry will be brought to the fore again this year: "I think last year it worked so well", he says, adding that as soon as they got together they knew that would be the case. So audiences will be in for another treat.
Danny has the role of Buttons this time, thwarted in his love for Cinderella, played by Oonagh Cox, who is after the prince. Never in all his years in panto has he played the prince, he says. "I've always been the geek."
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He and dad Clive, who is Baron Hardup -Cinderella's dad and "the best pumpkin grower in the kingdom", are the mainstay of the theatre's annual panto which is produced by Wallsend-born West End producer Michael Harrison, the managing director of the world-renowned Qdos Pantomimes. The show will be making use of the lavish set and costumes that made their debut in a production of Cinderella at London Palladium last Christmas.
And the showcase additions will help to make this the best - and quite literally the biggest - show yet, they say. Sets from the far larger Palladium stage have been made to fit but the costumes, such as dresses worn by the cast, are huge, says Joe. "Some of them you can't get on stage from the wings. They had to do a whole rehearsal to get Cinderella down the stairs."
The panto is "bigger and better than ever" he says and Danny agrees. "It's definitely bigger and better. Everything is huge - the set; even the lighting is on a different level."
So how have rehearsals been going to date? "Terrible!" jokes Clive but Joe says: "We've had a laugh - we've been having a good time!" Asked by Danny how he prepares for his role he answers: "It's not so far from myself - sparkly and a little bit over the top!"
Audiences will be able to enjoy seeing their banter translated to the stage when the show makes its debut and adding to the entertainment will be other familiar faces including Danny's brother, and CBBC co-star, Mick Potts and Chris Hayward who is to play the wicked stepmother. New additions to the cast will include dance troupe Flawless, former Britain’s Got Talent finalists who Joe has worked with before. "They're great."
They don't want to give away too much about what's in the show but audiences can be sure of quality entertainment and a typically madcap take on the popular fairytale. The opening sequence is very different to traditional pantos, says Joe, and there will be lots of songs - "145" jokes Danny - which people will know but which are given a special treatment, with some changed lyrics and Geordie references added, so that they "feel like original songs".
"It's like a musical comedy panto!" says Joe. The Theatre Royal pantomime is one of the most popular and fastest-selling in the country and tickets are already up to 87% sold out says Danny. The theatre has already announced next year's pantomime, which will be Pinocchio, and tickets for that go on general sale on Tuesday, November 29.
But right now, it's full focus on the coming season. The cast are geared up for the start of Cinderella's mammoth run at the Newcastle theatre which will take them through until January 15, with just Christmas Day off. "We've had such fun, I'm exhausted already!" jokes Joe. For tickets to the show call the theatre box office on 08448 112121 or book here.
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