Comedian Mark Little is to play Fleshcreep, the giant’s henchman, in Jack and the Beanstalk, the 2017 panto at Mansfield Palace Theatre.
Little, who played Joe Mangle in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and has a wealth of experience on stage, said, “I love panto. It’s really magic.
“There’s so much cynicism and misery in the world right now but pantomime brings people together, from grannies to very young children—everyone can enjoy the simple art form of pantomime!
“In Britain, kids from a very early age are going to see a pantomime and are being thrilled by the magic of live theatre. That breeds a new audience of adults who’ll go to theatre in the future. Where I come from in Australia, kids don’t go to theatres and then they won’t go as adults—which is a real shame.”
On playing the role of Fleshcreep, Little added, “I put a lot of energy into my performance and you get to an age where playing roles such as Buttons or Smee involves a lot of falling about, so being a baddie is better as I can fall about less! I like playing the baddie as not too scary but more nutty so the kids can have banter with him without being terrified. I like to stir them up!”
Adam Moss who played Smee in Peter Pan at Mansfield in 2016 will return to the Palace stage as Simple Simon in Jack and the Beanstalk which runs from Saturday 2 December until Sunday 7 January 2018.