Brexit, Pokémon Go, and possibly even Donald Trump will be mentioned in Coventry Belgrade’s 2016 panto Dick Whittington, according to Craig Hollingsworth who has spent the past five Christmas seasons entertaining families in Coventry.
Hollingsworth will play Idle Jack alongside Belgrade panto legend Iain Lauchlan who writes and directs the panto as well as playing the dame.
The key to a really good pantomime, says Hollingsworth, is to have a strong story. “You see, a lot of pantomimes that are all about the celebrities whereas the Belgrade Theatre pantomime has a strong story that both children and adults can latch onto.”
So what makes a good comic character? “I think it’s important to be really warm. If you can connect with the audience, then you’ve instantly got them on your side.
“I think I’m quite mischievous as a comic character and I do a lot of side glances to the audience. I try to invite them in as much as possible, so if I’m ever doing something off-script or improvised, I always include the audience.”
He believes the most challenging thing is the rehearsal process. “Iain Lauchlan writes the script and because we’ve built up such a close relationship over the years, he writes with me in mind.
“Often when I get the script there’s not much detail in the comedy scenes—just the bare bones. We have to build on this in rehearsals and add in the funny bits.”
Hollingsworth explains that audiences can expect “lots of slapstick, lots of silly humour, loads of dances, and the costumes and sets are stunning. Mark Walters, the designer, has been working on the Belgrade panto for the past few years so visually it’s going to be amazing.”
Dick Whittington runs on the main stage at the Belgrade from Wednesday 23 November until Saturday 7 January.