Ugly sisters will forge a beautiful partnership

THE actors playing the ugly sisters in this year’s Kenton Theatre pantomime are looking forward to forming a beautiful partnership on stage.

Christopher Chandler and Josh Norris met for the first time the other week when the cast of Cinderella came together for a photoshoot at the New Street theatre.

With rehearsals due to get under way towards the end of next month, they can’t wait to get started.

Christopher, who has been acting professionally since 2006, says: “I realised the other day that the first time I did panto I was the prince, then I was Buttons and now I’m an ugly sister, so I’m on an interesting career trajectory where I’m trying to complete all of the parts.”

As well as Cinderella, Christopher’s panto CV includes a stint in Aladdin in 2019 in which he played both the title role and Widow Twankey.

The actor, who is 6ft 3in, says: “I can’t believe they let me be Aladdin — I was probably the largest, least malnourished street rat ever. But that production was actually double-cast, so I was Aladdin for half of it and then I was Widow Twankey for the other.”

By coincidence, Josh has also played Widow Twankey, having won the role last year after graduating in musical theatre from the London College of Music.

He says: “It was meant to be a live tour but because of covid it was then filmed. It was then picked up by an Italian company so we went back in January and re-filmed it and this time I was Widow Twankey and the genie, so it was double the work.”

Josh is looking forward to making his live stage debut in Cinderella when it opens at the Kenton on Saturday, December 11.

The show is playing until Thursday, December 30, with a total of 33 performances lined up, including a relaxed performance at 6pm on Tuesday, December 14.

Writer-director Heather Simpkin has promised audiences two panto dames for the price of one in the form of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters Beatrice and Eugenie.

With plenty of leeway for improvisation, Josh and Christopher are looking forward to sparking off each other and their fellow cast members in rehearsals.

“Oh, a thousand per cent,” says Josh, who is playing Beatrice. “I also think that with Cinderella this is a very different type of dame.

“Widow Twankey’s very mumsy, very kind of like wholehearted — whereas the ugly sisters are cows! It’s so much fun to have someone else to play off because normally it’s just you, but now I’ve got a partner in crime.”

“Exactly,” agrees Christopher. “You can be each other’s hype when you’re being the baddie.

“It’s like if everyone’s bawling at you, you can almost divide and conquer and you can be confident because you know you’ve got someone who’s got your back.

“We’ve both played dames before but this is the first time that I’ve gone full dame, as it were.

“I’ve done the character in other shows but it’s always been on a kind of reduced scale because if I’m going to be Aladdin one minute and Widow Twankey the next I can’t do a full face of make-up, put on the high heels and things like that.

“And so this is the first time where it’s going to be the full wig, make-up, shoes, the dressy stuff.

“We’ve seen some of the costumes we’re going to be wearing and we’re going to have fun. I certainly feel empowered.

“There will be variations on a theme but we’re going to look very different with some of the looks that they’ve got lined up for us.”

Where panto dames are concerned, a bit of back and forth with the audience is very much part of the tradition.

It’s an element of the role that both Josh and Christopher are ready to embrace. Josh says: “You have a script, as you do with any show, but as long as you start it the way it starts and end it the way it ends, what happens in the middle is anyone’s guess.

“This is slightly different because you’ve got someone else’s lines in there as well, but I think that as we develop a rapport with each other through rehearsals we’ll know when to be like, ‘Okay, well, I know what you want to say now, so let’s work it into the performance.’ ”

“You’ve got to keep an eye on what’s happening,” agrees Christopher. “No one’s being selfish. The idea is that we’ll feed into each other.

“Out of all the other panto characters, Prince Charming and Cinderella have to play straight to the script, Buttons can have a bit more leeway, but the dames usually tend to get given carte blanche.

“With this panto we’ve already been informed that for the rehearsal process they’re very much encouraging us to try stuff compared with a lot of shows where it can be, ‘Okay, this is what’s written on the page and we’d like you to stick to this as much as possible.’

“With this one, it’s going to be a very collaborative process, which is a wonderful opportunity.”

Josh stresses that as the show takes shape, the creative collaboration will involve the whole cast and production team.

“It’s not just us,” he says. “We have the bare bones but Heather and Sam the producer have actively encouraged us.

“Like today some jokes have come up and there has been some back and forth. There have been some height jokes because Danny who plays Buttons is quite small compared to us.

“It’s going to be so collaborative that I don’t think the script will be finalised until the opening night, if I’m honest.”

Christopher adds: “It’s very encouraging that they don’t want to stifle anyone. They want to hear ideas, they want it to be something special and fresh — and that’s what’s going to keep it fresh because pantomime is quite an intense run.

“It’s just a few weeks but it’s a lot of shows so in that respect it keeps it exciting and fresh for us. It could be the case that no two shows are the same.”

• Cinderella is playing at the Kenton Theatre from December 11 to 30, with up to three shows on some days. Ticket prices vary by performance. For more information and to book, call the box office on (01491) 525050 or visit www.kentontheatre.co.uk