Home

Been home a week now and I'm slowly wading through the washing and packing everything away. Loved doing "Snow White" in Weston and hope I get the chance to work with some of the cast again - they were all great to be with. Went to see Evolution's "Peter Pan" in Canterbury last Friday, with three mates in it - Ben Roddy as Smee, Louise English as Mrs Darling/Squatting Cow/Mia the Mermaid, and Dave Lee as Tinkerbelly (!). They were all great and it was a lot of fun. Off to see Nigel Ellacott in Ilford on Thursday, and then it's bye bye to Pantoland till next year.

A week to go

Quite a few pantos round the country finish today but we've still got a week to go. Day off tomorrow - hooray! We only had a day off on thursday but these three days have been hard - don't know why.
Here are a few panto facts:
I have twelve costume changes per show - 3 of which are quick changes in the wings; for the others I go back to my dressing room which is one floor up from stage level (18 steps).
So I go up and down 360 steps per show.
In the course of our run here in Weston I will have had 564 costume changes,
and gone up and down 16920 steps (and that's in high heels!)

27 down, 20 to go

Past the half-way point now and all going well. Playing Dolly with a slightly lower voice this year so there's not so much strain on the old chords, and I'm managing to avoid the dreaded "panto voice". A dwarf short tonight (sorry, couldn't resist that ) so one of the juve dancers has taken his/her place. A full compliment of (big) dancers for a couple of days now - they've been worst hit by various bugs etc; this confirms my theory that choreography just ain't natural and isn't good for you, which is why I've always tried to avoid it as much as possible (ever since a nasty case of Gillianlynnitis auditioning for "Chitty")
Heard a new Specsavers gag that I might try and sneak in today.

Panto Pic

Keith's Christmas card photo of

Me, Vicki, Keith (Company Manager) & Peter

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho

It's back to work we go after a lovely day off. Really enjoyed Snow White in Sheffield - Damian Williams was a triumph as Dame as ever... but enough about him. Our show's going well and we've had some nice reviews; The Stage described me as well-upholstered - in other words... wait for it... Sofa so good!
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/26703/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs

Wednesday 16th

Two shows today at 1.30 (would have been a lovely morning off but had to do Christmas cards) and 7.00. In evening show suddenly decided to break off in the middle of making up to clean my teeth before doing lipstick, then started chatting with dresser about something or other and so did opening with no lips. Another dreaded 10 o'clock show tomorrow (the last one until 6 Jan, thank god), then short turnround for second show at 1.30. THEN... up to Sheffield to see Damian Williams' "Snow White". Hooray!

Press Night

Show went well.

Mr Holman, Theatre Big-wigs (my finale's still the biggest) and

Friends of the Theatre all very happy.

Like a Christmas tree all we need now is some trimming (ho ho)