With the freedom to play to the crowd, explore bold characterisation and revel in the instant audience reaction, actors love getting stuck into a good pantomime role. As magical, thrilling and larger than life as its characters invariably are though, rarely do actors inhabit a character based on a person who actually lived.
Which is just one reason why Dick Whittington is such an unusual pantomime. Alongside Dick and Alice, of course, there’s her dad Alderman Fitzwarren – the only real person portrayed in pantomime with a solid link to Dorset.
Having made his name on the battlefield and been knighted for chivalry, Sir Ivo Fitzwaryn (1347-1414) served as a Dorset MP and was lord of the manor of Caundle Hatton, now Stourton Caundle, near Sherborne. His eldest daughter Alice married the real Richard Whittington who inherited much of Ivo’s land and wealth.
“It’s a fascinating story,” says hugely experienced, award-winning actor Robert Rees. “To think I’m in panto and stepping in the footsteps of a real person almost in his own backyard – that hasn’t happened before!”
Robert is lining up alongside Poole-born West End star Bernadette Bangura, renowned actor-singer-writer Sarah-Louise Young and, of course, CBeebies’ favourite Chris Jarvis in Dick Whittington at Lighthouse. Made in Poole, especially for Lighthouse audiences, it is the latest in a run of hit productions in recent years that has included last year’s smash hit Sleeping Beauty and national Panto Award winners Aladdin and Cinderella. Written and directed by Chris and with production design by James Smith, it’s the original pantomime adventure story – a quest for fame and fortune on the streets of London, with a slight detour to Poole Quay.
So, how does Sir Ivo fit? What’s he like?
“He’s quite fun, a bit bumbly, a bit pompous. He’s something fun and warm for the kids. He has a good relationship with Dame and, of course, a good relationship with Alice and Dick. He’s the glue that sticks everyone together. You need those characters in panto, it’s lovely fun.”
Although he’d fallen for panto at a young age, seeing Bonnie Langford play Peter Pan with Christopher Timothy at the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford, Robert went into acting with no expectation of appearing in panto. Today though, he has more panto roles to his name than anything else.
“It’s kind of been my guilty pleasure, and I think it’s really, really important because often it’s a child’s first introduction to live theatre, as it was my first introduction to live theatre. Years later I played Peter Pan in Wimbledon opposite David Hasselhoff as Captain Hook, and that was my first pantomime. It was a real baptism of fire.
“It was bonkers, as you can imagine, but I have grown to really love panto and appreciate when they’re done well. It’s the one time of year when all the family comes, all the community comes, and it’s great to see people from five to 90 in the audience. It’s fantastic. I love it.”
Last year, Robert created, co-produced, and starred as Buttons in Cinderella, the first-ever family pantomime at the famous King’s Head Theatre in Islington. It was a great hit.
“I was very lucky,” he deflects, modestly. “Judi Dench provided the voice of our Narrator, while Miriam Margolyes voiced the Wicked Stepmother, and Su Pollard kindly lent her voice to bring our puppet Quackers to life. We also had Ella Vaday from RuPaul’s Drag Race as our Ugly Sister. They’re building on that success, but it’s too stressful to act and produce, so I just wanted to act this year.”
It’s Robert’s first time in Poole and his first time working with Chris Jarvis, although he has seen his director in panto before.
“Yes, Chris was in the Richmond pantomime about ten years ago with some friends of mine, Matthew Kelly and Matt Rixon, who I’ve worked with before, and Hayley Mills, and it was just absolutely magical. It had loads of stuff for the kids and loads of stuff for the adults, it ticked all the boxes, and you just left with a smile on your face.
“We all went backstage, and we met Hayley, who was lovely. We had drinks in their dressing room, and Chris came along, and he’s so charming and warm, and so good with all ages. I never thought that ten years later I’d get a chance to work with Chris myself. I’m really looking forward to it.”
:: Dick Whittington is sponsored by National Express and Raymond James and can be seen at Lighthouse Poole from Thursday 11 December until Sunday 4 January. Tickets available at https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/dick-whittington/ or on 01202 280000.
(NC)