I'll be really sad with the let me end. Listening to B.B.C. Radio Manchester and I'm Michel Eagleton with you for the next hour thank you for joining us this Christmas Eve. TILL CHRISTMAS Oh very exciting and hopefully this next hour will leave you feeling really festive because we've got Lois coming up we've got some. Some Christmas Chaitin's and I have been all over grace to Manchester in search of some good pound so I've been going behind the same some of them and same what makes them so special and one of them that is currently playing at munches just Opera House is Cinderella Now that until the 30th of December I went to one of their rehearsals and look I cool with the leading lady herself you see B.B.C. Shannon Flynn white for this Thera God will that say Haley Riyad Christian I feel very very privileged to be behind the scenes of one of the biggest Proms I was here in Manchester this Christmas season and you all the lady lately Well it's hard to listen to our no no pressure and yet I am Cinderella It's exciting isn't it yeah how does it feel kind of knowing that you got to go on stage every night and have a maze in transformation from the Bronx to the belle of the ball you know what is really exciting and it all looks great I mean we've done this all of the transformation now so I was a kind of know how that is going to look and so it's just amazing was while great opportunity say to be able to do I'm really excited and have you jump on toes be full race kind of Your 1st for right well I did a couple of years ago and I day job. The main stock forgot it was going to be installed and then before that South the 1st everything that I did was when I was a debate in the world so I've done it but he saw a been quite spaced out so this is the biggest one I've ever done so yeah I mean it is an amazing platform and production wise I think the Opera House to go Wally all our Absolutely yeah it's going to be fantastic I mean the crew and everybody behind it as well as well as the cost that. The crew that I really put in the time and it's going to be spectacular I think I can't wait to see things like the cafe which yes I will I can't wait to say yeah I'm so excited I mean we've heard obviously everything. And so yeah I'm really excited to get in there and fly off and. Give one of the best ones dreamy I mean and who could ask for a reference to. Really hit the jackpot I mean it's going to be a lot of girls I ran this in the audience and you know is a lovely guy and he's great which is really really nice as well is that any such thing as not. You know not with anyway I mean the all the best so the most. It's like it's kind of what makes it isn't it because it is such a like. And yeah I would say that. How what can we expect from your songs as well because of this this internal must have a couple of numbers of well yes oh I have these sort of 2nd song in the show there opens and then I sing about the opera house which is very nice and regional song about the opera house so yes about some of the ice and then I suppose from then it sort of it's with the. What's it like when you doing this for his because obviously we are in that time you know going on stage yet just trying to get you all in the same room must be quite hard for people she actually. Yes we saw it and they says as being We've also been doing up different things in different rooms so and I suppose we've missed the opportunity have a lot of time together really bought and I think they sweet and leave the show at least that well we do in that dress in the tack and the romance of the of the whole . And we're all sick either then so it's great and we should really know each other when we get a chance to chat so yeah I suppose we think this week will definitely be Mall. And of the sea if you have people at Les Dennis who was playing live it. How difficult is it going to be not to coax them out stage and just get the giggles very difficult and I don't know how I'm going to do at the minute I'm like the mob just keep listening to the jokes and hope got bored of them so that I don't get them on stage but I'm still laughing now so I'm hoping to keep it together on the night so the side I don't get they always gets me is kind of like when one starts in the rest of the custom you can get away with a pencil yet I think it's almost funny you know when something goes wrong and everybody starts laughing because that sort of it was breaking the 4th wall all the time so it almost makes sense for it you know it's how those moments where you call ups a little bit and everybody's just really enjoying it as much as the audience. And the finale scene is something I always look forward to because you have thought movement where the years after they have a break called this a song she or they something to break up the action you know that they're going to get yes they all come in in these stunning costumes have you seen them yet I've seen ma even tried mine on and I think I think my dress sort of doesn't go with the color scheme apparently with the rest of what her body else is wearing I know I'm very standouts saw that out me dolling So I hope you know a piece of the that we all the greats of. My dress is so nice. For that from the whole show when I'm going to take some I'm going to feel I think. You know. I just want to take this with me. And they pay as well you need to go out dancing you know the only act that the so comfortable. And I think you can imagine thank you very much I am just going to. Feel that at the sofa because. I know that. And how excited you are found me on stage at the opera house this Christmas this is amazing. I've done a lot in Manchester and just being all you know when you kind of. You see shows like they just are so can keep it so that they have think if I'm going on that stage into it's mine yeah. Yeah I'm really really excited and if you call like crowd that going to be like in your little cheering colon and then every night apparent they have people coming in on the 1st. And the 1st not the Noma from the surprise of the not told me what. The longest going to here's a whoop whoop and then all the people that it's Sister Act with that will come in and he really can't wait because people will think tell me the same thing about a pantomime that gets everybody on boat it's just as soon as I found out that I got the Paul and I just put it on Facebook Oh it was like a. You. Know the book makes. Yes. It's just it's for me is Christmas and without it it's just yeah it's just much. Hi My name is Lee and I am 9 years old my favorite pants minus Peter Pan because I like it the part when I cut. That so kind of balls the toes and we have to sew it up. That's from all Clinton primary school in Middleton and if you have been listening this afternoon you'll know that we've been asking the pew post not scale some of their favorite pantos and they've been sharing them with those and they can be continuing to share them with us for the next hour left in this show I'm Michele Eagleton thank you for joining us on Christmas Eve we're really near to that big day but are you ready for right. Have you got those presents wrapped Have you had humans pie Have you sat down yet you were enjoying it I mean I can never get over the fact that some people get their Christmas presents away in advance because you know I tried I tried that many years ago and you know I ended up doing one I ended up buying double of people's presents which was great for that I also forgot where I'd pull you know you hide them away and then he thinks I'm out anything I have waited to go where did they go so I kind of knocked on the head and I think I actually finished a couple of days ago I'm still doing all right I got myself sorted I have been basically. Because I've been going around Gracie Mansion step by now some of the pantos that we've got they Sharon going to see them all and you know I've also been doing as well because I was a bit interested in how pants mimes actually started I mean kind of the history of them because I don't think we ever really know where they came from so I went down to the University of self that I got speaking to Richard Tolle but now he's a senior lecturer in performance at the school of awesome media and I went insane if he could just give me a bit of help on that one. Story that we're familiar with. In the stories of star crossed lovers evolved demons and that sort of thing have always been a British folktales a mother plays a mediæval mystery plays and morality tales and over the years they've incorporated Italian quality of their latte stories of Harley Quinn problem by and they've got these stories in to. Create the pantomime that we're familiar with from the 19th century So I think the 1st part of my vision H. You know 6 wow of my story Mother Goose you don't realize that there is so much Geraghty to the Pantai because he has stood the test of time. Sounds we went to children and children are still going Why do you think is that I think I think it's not really sort of the pattern I'm content as much as the time of year and the idea that you can turn a theater on its head it's for everybody for a short period of time in the theatre which is normally this for space most people you know maybe people don't go to on a weekly basis suddenly it's a sort of being a place where you don't have to sit down to be quiet in the dark is this bright place where you can stand up and. We head off and shout characters who are right in front of you performers who go right there and talking directly to you so it's a sort of whole performance of popular a popular celebration of a time when all the rules are broken and things are turned on the head of things talked to Turvy is as present to say in the theater industry kind of breaks down doesn't it absolutely one of the techniques of popular performance techniques are now being taken up by contemporary performance companies who want to engage with their audiences and bring more people into their productions so it's become sort of complex if you like this direct address and the use of comedy and gags and parody but you know cross-dressing and all of these games and slapstick and they sort of things have long been part of British popular performance I also think because people now taking on some of these techniques of pantomime is that less Not really because I think you know the days when X. Is used to say you know wanted it almost seems like well you know because you know to be real they said but now you've got completely big names going there and headlining in the same it's a funny contradiction is now I think it is partly to do with the position that holds needs to hold to be a space that you go into and that you can Riviere and give it some sort of credibility and you know you can suspend your disbelief if you if you buy into the normal sort of theater ritual and environment from a kind of focal point of view from a proper theater point of view yeah it's like well that's for actors who are just great graduating or that's for people to do the same kind of performance every year that's for that guy who always dresses up as a dame That's for those people who like comedy people makes up confused between the content of the story and the kind of the styles of performance and the intellect of intelligence. All the people there in fact there's this massive collective understanding that this is a really clever thing to do to have a kind of bright sort of greater event in winter when it's horrible and cold outside and when we feel kind of threatened by things in the dark you know this is a great obviates to something collectively so and it is a good route for Iraq to is that familiar stories are supposed as another reason you know people think that it's just simple theater isn't it. Kind of stories because you call them things like your Cinderella you have snow winds East that old Ponto some of the Ponce the fact that they are simple and people kind of know the moment they start is fairy tales as disparate homes were. They were taken as a country easy narrative let's say and of equivalent to the Holocaust in stories come from Europe and so there's something that everybody knows already and that's part of the pleasure of watching a pantomime you know what's going to happen you know the kind of chasings are going to happen you know the big characters you can enjoy meeting and you wouldn't like it a thing you didn't get to say those words he's behind you absolutely yeah you learn all that stuff you don't know how you learn it you don't have to go to pantomime to know that's that's what you do that's what scientists are going to churches. You pick these things up is everywhere is what we do at Christmas so it's really a ritual isn't it sort of a shared ritual and if you don't get what you're expecting is a little bit disappointing I know I do expect lots of laughs with the pounds and I want to big laughs I want a relief they want big characters the day character particular is very much like a clown you know they walk back and a big figure can really sort of Sasser OIS our normal everyday kind of polite behavior and draw attention to the kind of constraints that we normally live on and there is going to be quite a long tendency still in pantomimes we can see. Anytime. Changes in technology they respond to change. Of course you have a very special place for you. As it was for you and it probably isn't anything like it actually was it's probably much more. But it was a magical experience and people are very reluctant I think to see that updated or we see things like the principal boy being played by a boy. More of the more the expert. Coming in to my. May have improved. People are a bit reluctant to see things change but they have to adopt. Him. Well. You about. My song. Williams were on B.B.C. Radio Manchester I'm Michel Eagleton I'm with you for the rest of this afternoon taking you up to 6 o'clock on chorus most of I'm so excited I might just. We're also talking Ponce a mind as well as plain some fantastic chains now how few have wanted him to Scripps behind pantomimes. Probably not you probably you know been to quite a few when and thought he cell phone yes the same kind of thing well a lot of goes into those scrapes and who decides when to put in all those classic lines. Yes You know the one you probably shout along to that many it's. Welfare no more because I have monies to pin down one of the best in the business Eric Potts Now you might remember him from carnation straight because Eric Stajan not quite a few years ago as a car it's called take a rake Compton now he was a father of Molly he went out with Tyrone blabbering about. Well he has been doing for over 25 year. Long time so if anybody knows anything about puns mine it has to be Eric but of course it is the busiest time of year for him so I have to make do with not yet. Just a few minutes on the phone with him to ask him why printout is that special I love its history and I love the fact that actually we are. Introducing many young children to the taste of a big theater not theater that you know is wonderful it goes into the schools and the drive is whatever visit visit for often many of them are very often it's the 1st time in to one of these beautiful regional auditorium and I ate it just a joy in making this 1st experience special and hopefully creating something that they want to repeat they want to know about that place and the more. I think that when pantomime when done properly is really really important because it is creating the next generation of theatregoers absolutely not can you imagine that your face pantomime that you watched. From Alaska Scott and we used to go to the Civic to an ad and remember getting on the bus from primary school some of the being 5 or 6 or 7 compliant and I remember really looking forward to it but I was always terrified there was going to be fire in it I didn't I had something about fire when I was a kid. And then one year show enough they did a magic trick that they'll fire and all of that. But all disgusting got over it went back the next year yeah because I think the light that you actually chatted the boys but you've been talking about how many of you starting Pantai this and you will also write them what was that like Brighton it's great I found that a few years ago that I was turning out or someone else's script which is normally very good but I would spend half the surprise of all what if we. Shouldn't wouldn't be better and then I thought I want someone else looking I love money for doing all this and come. It was a load of stuff so I suggested I might write it the next year I'm lucky I managed to bluff my life through that and. Wrote a script it's great in that obviously with with years of experience I have in this particular genre it is great putting all down on paper and all sorts of of elements especially in the world of commercial pantomime to your writing to your cost so you have to incorporate. Your post faces of course you have to write is very important I sing a pencil has local ownership so you have to like where the pantomime is and something that's going to make the audience in that particular town feel it belongs to them so local restaurants. They will find funny about their town and you know just telling the basic story that. I always say a printer should be 60 percent adventure I've got a little beautiful paper weight a friend gave me in my office and it's got you know the world eventually gold will play out when I'm writing all this just keep that in mind and then if the story is being told properly you can indulge in the wonderful comedy the old historic routines been around since the days of old Bill and all the music and special effects but if the kids aren't holding onto the seat in front of them at least 60 percent of the show then I don't think it's being done properly. Talking of come a day in the pan type well as you say you've gag in a pants I want you to love game. Crikey so many of the. Really good one the dame which I'd like. To the comic just say all that how do you manage to face so many stupid things in one day and he says well I get out early and just. One gags that. You know in many ways we probably had them when we went. And I think taking their children to Japan because now if they don't see what they recognize. They get disappointed you know and it's not a case of just churning out the thing that example you update the Iranian topical reference but it hasn't got that same that same spirit of. Innocence. But not at the expense of the children not knowing you know why things are funny then I think the parents are the ones actually buy the tickets feel a bit cheated and all know this is why I remember why she changed it and I've seen people who were the best will in the world trying to clatter out with an exaggerated bling is quite as successful as a traditional one end of the pay artform that we all know now Absolutely and also you know writing not just the comedy but also vying for the battle What's that like because people seem to say that they love the play in the comedy realms or the Daniela's in these pants I think if they get that the best reactions don't I Yeah exactly this is a if you if you're being totally booed by the whole theater full of kids and yet they you know doing a play is about it and I think. You've got to be I'll call when I'm because I direct shows as well now you are the battery is one of my story monitors and is very important you got to touch the characters and kind of you know your story monitors and you know it comedians and the band is one of my story monitors are the Jeopardy and I've known bodies in the past to try and slip it all out I'll just put Garak in there one or maybe do this business and I say you know it's the hardest job you've got but it's the kids don't believe you are genuinely worrying genuinely scary than they were believe the story. To maintain the integrity of that character you've always got to stay stage left I'm not a party crossing of a state right because state rights where the good fairy or the good. The bad they must always be stage left to me still the old Latin form sinister. And I've got to maintain the integrity that doesn't mean so you can slip in a couple of funny lines that the parents will maybe get but they might is one of the hardest jobs and for example the prince and Cinderella or snow they are the story monitors they keep that narrative driving through the hours talking about the adventure and then the comics come on in the Oval Office. I think you're going to keep us laughing for a long time to come with your pants in mind but before i love you and Legion let me go back to the world of Aladdin What is your favorite kind pantograph got to ask. I was. Fortunate I mean I've been fortunate to have done some great shows but a few years ago through the company I used to be a creative director for we managed to secure of the truly wonderful Dame at average 2 apparent Panter in Wimbledon in London and that was a show that I wrote directed and damed in as well I played Sarah Cook and Dame Edna was the fairy carries her but was rewritten as a savior of London. She was just the most wonderful giving and funny funny performer and it will always be at that top of my list I wish I'd seen at MOMA south. Thank you so much for taking the time out and have a good win with bombs. In your smile. All the while. Should be. Oh I love that you Eric and neighing during in that. Mistake A Both style bring May sunshine Not really if that has a smile on your face don't know what absolutely fantastic but you know smile and you'll fights. From all quantum prime miscarries about to tell us what favorite pants mine. And I'm 10 years old. My favorite line is still because the characters are really relatable and they're really funny oh all she did to all that is fantastic now she loves repond so but what pantomimes out and about across Greater Manchester at the moment well with actually heard from a few of them that it's around so I've got a little bit of a run sound for you now if you're much too then you might want to go to the Gracie failed they said now sleeping beauty is on the until the 31st of December so that's going to be at the right magical pants in my book we've also got one on in stop as well it's very popular this year. That's at the stop plaza that's on till the 6 of jam and if you were listening earlier on you may have heard of very old B.B.C. Radio munched a Ted Robbins talking about that because he plays the dame in it and also he's joined by Claire King from Emmerdale fame she was came to remember the really nasty one in Emma jail where she's playing a bad day and surprise surprise she's a wicked fairy in that punch my mistake. If you know hey watch though Snow White and the 7 Dwarves is at the Hayward civic and that's on until the 28th of December I too like Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs I think that makes a really good pun sometime and especially there's loads of booze from the kids when the wicked stepmother goes and makes the poisoned book you know I won't give away the ending but it's out OK Cinderella the Opera House and the old in color saying they share at the opera house it's on till the 30th of December on the Colosseum until the 12th of January so if you want to catch Cinderella and say hello lovely transformation then you can get yourself down to both of those things to this kind of a quiet just icon Americans hire back in in the. Opera House one and I think that's quite an interesting choice because you might remember him as feel an incarnation straight with these He's writing of Tara across all the residents of Coronation Street and now he's starring as one is the Oakley sisters alongside Les Dennis So I think quite a different persona fame's sake on this Christmas which be quite interesting to have a look at and there's a lot in at Middleton a rainout that is going to be and chancing all the mold dad's family is that going to say that show and of course it's got Tommy's very own James and is the nice and play in the body in that one and that's on sale the 30th of December so that's a big round of applause for the pontiff across why so much to say. Now I did mention a pouncer classic that Snow White one of my personal favorites has had this song in the fall because I definitely have the good ole boys Hyla I'm holding out for a hero. That was Madonna holiday and it is holiday time and hence the reason that is used in a lot of puns minds because I think obviously the connection the celebration in the festive time and with Madonna it's a track that is I class 8 once that was Madonna that but we're going to go into the well what all of the primary school I want the primary school have been watching that they share in previous years and let's go and see one of the children from primary school. To say for themselves Hi my name's Easton I'm not in years old what's your favorite dance moment Ethan peach upon because I had thought of the carrots as customers from. Bill as I don't think he could choose his absolute favorite all of them. Nice the joy about pantomime they've been great this afternoon thank you so all those people who spent their time trying to think of their favorite pantomime and they also did some fantastic sound effects as well for roads with booze and shares which was brilliant they've been absolutely jobless now you're ready for Christmas we have got the countdown well and truly on now so very soon it will be Christmas Day with your presents all saw. The mince pies we're going to watch a Christmas movie lights roll in are we going to have that mug of hot chocolate maybe get out the mold why with very festive because we have been talking about Prince miser of come behind the scenes at quite a few of them across great man just how what your appetite have you been to see in the more red day are you going to see them over the next couple of days and well into the new year 2000 and I CAN YOU BELIEVE IT OH MY GOODNESS but we have had Ted Robbins of their own radio Manchester Ted Robbins he's in Sleeping Beauty at the Stoppel Plaza a big thank you to the cast of Cinderella at the Opera House but checked into was in a lot in those into rehearsals also we had those populist day we had. Squeeze pocket they were from the old and Coliseum wonderful ugly sisters all dressed in emote the cost to reflect what it's like now with all those a motorcycle I even noticed on top of them nowadays we had Misty's dance school that was a done school in Middleton and they was starring in a lot in the middle to no Rayna's so great to see some local dance groups get the chance to be on stage in. Minds into some of that is that the performance on a proper state which is a brilliant basis for you know the future and there was quite a few that I thought you know you're really going to go far then we had Eric Paulson team was invoking at the time because he's doing a pantomime over that but he has done lots of Ponce mimes across Grace Manchester in fact he's been doing it for 25 years oh no we hasn't yet one more time I have to get in that classic And then of course a big thank you very own pun So his story in the scene Electra in performance at university Rich A tall but he told us exactly how Ponce mind started way back when saw feel like I've learnt quite a bit this afternoon I hope you have to thank you so much for joining us and get in the Christmas spirit listening to these festive choose and to having. The time I King of the hacienda catch the cold with the crazy top B.B.C. Radio Majesty. Whoa who. My name is Graham park I'm for the next hour I'll be talking to of a right of musicians and singers from both the classical and electronic music worlds a highly popular and extremely successful live show that began life as a crazy idea that was supposed to be a one off but it's gone on to to the U.K. I'm beyond for over 3 years i'm were about to do so for a 4th year bass is the making of the hacienda classical.