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Andy Hockley is a hugely experienced theatre and TV actor, despite having originally trained in theatre design. He has appeared in 18 pantomimes at The Belgrade since 1989 in a variety of roles including both dame and baddie and this year he is playing King Rat in Dick Whittington.
As well as pantomime Andy has appeared in some of the UK’s most popular musicals and is possibly the longest serving Wizard in Wicked in the West End having been in over 1,000 performances. He also appeared in The Phantom of the Opera on tour and the West End followed by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang before his long stint in Wicked.
Andy talks to Martin about his vast career and deep affection for pantomime as well as what it is like working with panto legend Iain Lauchlan.
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This week Martin is joined by two choreographers, Mitchell Harper and Claire Darcy.
Mitch has a wide range of choreography experience from opera and musicals to pantomime.
Claire has been appearing in the Inverness panto since she was a child and has appeared in over 1,000 performances at Eden Court - going on from being a member of the Junior Ensemble to a professional performer and now also their choreographer.
In this episode Mitch and Claire discuss the processes and methods involved in creating the routines for panto, how they are influenced by the music choices, the special effects and the performers themselves and much more!
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Have you ever wondered why ticket prices cost what they do?
In this episode Martin delves into the complex world of theatre finance with Sarah Boden to discuss this very question.
Sarah talks Martin through the various different aspects that influence the cost of a ticket – from size of venue to the type of casting and all the extras that people may have never considered such as VAT, royalty fees, levies, transport and more!
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This week’s podcast was recorded at the North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford at the UK Pantomime Association panel event on Relaxed and Accessible Performances.
The panellists were Jess Thom, Annie Bannister, Chris Jarvis and Dr Chris Abbott all of whom also took the time to speak to Martin directly on the subject of making performances as inclusive as possible.
People from theatres across the UK attended the event to hear more about the variety of needs that audience members might have and how to create an environment that is welcoming, comfortable and accessible for all.
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This week Martin is talking to David Lloyd-Jones. From early memories of Punch and Judy in Llandudno and his first panto experience at Swansea Grand aged 9, David has gone on to have a varied career in the theatre industry, including being a current trustee of the UK Pantomime Association.
As a young performer he was predominantly a vocalist but he decided early on in he had an interest in teaching which he tied in with his theatrical training and he was also the first in Wales to undertake an apprenticeship in pantomime directing. Learn all about this and more in this latest episode of Just Imagine!
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Martin joined the team at a photoshoot and caught up with some of the Imagine team and casts from a number of different pantos.
Jack Malin who is part of the team running the Theatre Café in London and is also playing Prince in Swindon’s Cinderella this year in one of the people chatting to Martin as well Maisie Scarlett who will be playing Cinderella alongside him.
Martin also talks to panto dame Steve Elias who has had a strong career in musical theatre and has also gone on to teach at many of the UK’s top performing arts schools and Nathan Morris and Aled Thomas Davies who are playing Starkey and Captain Hook in Halifax this season.
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Andy Nurse has spent many years working as a production manager for Imagine Theatre and also specialises in many of the technical aspects of live performance.
From an early love of playing musical instruments Andy changed course to work behind the scenes in the industry and has worked in many different areas.
He discusses his career with Martin and offers advice on how to get into the industry and gain the necessary knowledge for a successful career as well as going into detail about the role of a production manager on a pantomime. -
From playing a mosquito aged 3 in Alice Through the Looking Glass to the present day Nathan has always loved performing.
Coming from a strong theatre family Nathan was actually in a panto in the Junior Ensemble before he had even been in the audience to watch one and his love of the genre has been with him ever since. He has spent many years as a comic with Imagine Theatre in Porthcawl and Rotherham and this year will be playing Will Scarlett in Robin Hood.
Not only has Nathan worked extensively in theatre he has appeared on television in shows on CBeebies and Nickelodeon and he also teaches and directs.
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Simon Sladen and Steve Boden join Martin to talk about the history of Mother Goose. Although it is not that frequently performed these days it historically enjoyed great success with Dan Leno and Joseph Grimaldi both appearing in early versions of the show and more recently we have seen Ian McKellen playing the role to great success.
They discuss the themes of the show and how many of them have relevance today and how the panto has influenced other productions as well as how its popularity differs between the regions.
A great podcast for anyone interested in the history of the pantomime genre.
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Musical Director Paul Burnett’s daughter Caroline joins Martin this week to talk about her father’s career and life growing up with theatrical parents.
Paul was a prolific musical director in the 1950s to the 1980s in the true heart of variety. He conducted multiple royal variety performances, was the MD of choice for people like Morcambe and Wise and many many others. He was also musically involved in countless pantomimes across the UK and spent many years working for Bernard Delfont.
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Have you ever wanted to know more about the music in the pantomime? This week Martin is joined by Miles Russell who has spent a number of panto seasons as an MD and Arranger with Imagine Theatre.
From starting out age seven learning to play the trumpet Miles is now a multi-instrumentalist. He has worked as an actor-musician, Musical Director and Arranger amongst other roles.
He talks to Martin about how panto differs from other productions, how the songs are selected, how the music is created – including parts, backing tracks and backing vocals. He also reveals which panto title is his favourite!
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Join Martin as he goes back stage at this year's UK Pantomime Awards. Taking place on Tuesday 18th June at G Live in Guildford, the 2024 pantomime awards were another star studded, glittering evening celebrating all things panto!
Martin talks to presenters Ore Oduba, Angelica Bell alongside lots of the award winners and members of the UK Pantomime Association board! -
This week Martin is joined by former contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee and current Deputy Head of Wardrobe at Imagine Theatre, Adam Brooks.
Adam talks about those early influences that led to his love of theatre and costume. He also discusses his varied career from drama school, to being a Cruise Director, to becoming Deputy Head of Wardrobe for Imagine Theatre and how his on stage theatrical experience influences his approach to his current role.
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This week Martin talks to two key members of the Imagine team about how they got into the industry and their experiences of training in stage management.
Ruth Porter, Deputy Head of Stage Management and Props and Jazmyne Evans, Operations and Production Administrator talk to Martin about how their early experiences of theatre led them to work in the industry and what their current roles at Imagine entail. Plus Ruth talks about the skill behind making some good old fashioned panto slosh!
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This week’s episode focuses on the roles of two key elements of any theatrical production – the lighting and the sound.
Lighting Designer and Programmer Matt Ladkin and Sound Designer and Head of Project Engineering and Head of Education at Orbital Sound Mike Thacker, join Martin to talk about these invaluable roles.
They talk through exactly what each role involves, how the process develops throughout the year from initial production meetings to being in venue for Tech and also discuss how the ever-changing technology has influenced their work.
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This week Eric Potts and Palace panto regular James McAnerney join Martin on the podcast to talk about Snow White.
Snow White originated from the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s and it grew and developed from there to become the version of the story we know today.
Eric and James discuss the history of the pantomime, the variations in the story, some of the iconic elements such as the magic mirror and the various approaches to casting.
A must listen episode for all fans of the panto genre!
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We are already a third of the way through the year and this week on the podcast Sarah and Steve talk to Martin about where Imagine are in the panto process at the moment.
New set and costume designs are underway for the three brand news shows being created this year. This includes planning for the team to produce panto in a circus tent for the first time this year with a brand new show and the steps involved in bringing that to life.
They discuss how Imagine is integrating with parent company Trafalgar Entertainment as well as producing the first panto in the brand new Fareham Live Theatre. They also touch on the forthcoming Junior Ensemble auditions, their pre-school Santa shows and the exciting opportunities available for careers in stage management and wardrobe.
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Episode 75 – The Role of the Director
This week the podcast focuses on the role of the director. Robert Marsden and Mairi Cowieson join Martin on the podcast to discuss what being a director actually involves.
They discuss how the role of director has developed from ancient times to present day, their routes into directing and their personal approaches to directing pantomime.
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Joint CEO of Trafalgar Entertainment Dame Rosemary Squire and CEO and COO of Trafalgar Theatres Helen Enright are Martin’s guests on the podcast this week.
Despite an early love of theatre, neither Rosemary or Helen set out to have a career in the industry and both came to their current roles through very different paths.
Join us as they discuss their career development, the importance of both regional theatre and pantomime to the industry and the continuing growth of Trafalgar Entertainment.
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This week Swansea legend Kev Johns joins Martin on the podcast.
Kev has been a panto dame for 30 years, with 25 of those at the Swansea Grand. He also presented numerous radio shows, including more than 20 years on the Breakfast Show, as well as being a match day announcer for his local football team, The Swans. Kev is also heavily involved in charity work, receiving an MBE in 2010 for his services to charity.
He discusses his long and varied career with Martin, including how he went from being a church minister to being in the entertainment business and why pantomime is so important to him.
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