 |
|
|
|||
|
Interviews
|
|||
|
|
I Get up Every Morning Excited Simon Sladen talks to Paul Hendy about pantomime If the Spirit of Pantomime exists, then it currently resides with Paul Hendy of Evolution Productions. Known to many for presenting shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Don't Try This at Home and BAFTA nominated Dear Mr Barker, Hendy is also one of the most experienced and knowledgeable pantomime practitioners around. Now retired from performing, he still writes, directs and produces and this year will see his pantomimes staged in Guildford, Canterbury, St Albans, Chatham and Sheffield. I met up with him in Canterbury during the first week of rehearsals for Robin Hood. "Be prepared to die!" Not something one generally wishes to hear whilst ascending the stairs for an interview. Luckily for me, the recipient of such words was Maid Marian, having refused the Sheriff of Nottingham's wedding proposal. It is day three of rehearsals and the cast are already tackling the final scene, with Hendy at the helm of directing his freshly penned script. Watching Hendy at work is not only a masterclass in direction, but a masterclass in pantomime. His great wealth of experience means that he really knows what he's talking about. Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, he jokes, "Hopefully I have a good idea of what works and what doesn't." As director, Hendy is not the puppet master, but the sculptor, working with the actors to create a great theatrical experience for the whole family, rather than dictating what they should and shouldn't do. "Why don't we do this instead? It'd be much funnier," suggests John Thomson, the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Hendy loves the idea and it's in the show. Thomson, best known for appearances in The Fast Show, Cold Feet and Coronation Street, is particularly excited about his second panto season due to Robin Hood's strong sense of comedy and the opportunity to be involved in the production creatively. "It was nice," Thomson explains, "because Paul said to me 'Shall we sit down and tailor make it a bit?'" Pantomime, like any form of theatre, is a collaborative process and owes its very survival to the incorporation of new ideas. "It's an organic process," says Hendy. With the morning session of rehearsals and costume fittings over, we decamp to the adjacent community centre to chat about panto over lunch. "Is this alright for King Richard?" asks designer Helga Wood, holding a costume aloft for all to see. "It needs a red cross, doesn't it everyone?" responds Hendy, as those around him sip tea and tuck into their lunch. For Hendy, pantomime is well and truly a family affair; he writes and directs, his wife Emily produces, her mother Helga is responsible for scenographic design and their five year old son Freddie is a comedy consultant. "I check all the jokes out on him," says Paul. "Hopefully not the adult ones!" I jest. With the New Marlowe Theatre still under construction, for the second year running the Canterbury pantomime will take place in the specially built Marlowe Theatre Arena, a tent with all mod cons, including heating and proper toilets. We head down to inspect the site, which, when not masquerading as a theatre, is otherwise known as Canterbury's main coach park. "We're doing it on a thrust stage this year," explains Hendy as we kit ourselves up in the relevant reflective safety gear, courtesy of his wife Emily who meets us on arrival. "This way everyone gets a good view of the stage." "Directing in such a venue is very exciting," beams Hendy. He loves the opportunity to "get creative", but is glad that wife Emily is onboard to produce the show; especially as in Canterbury this also includes the mammoth and complex task of co-ordinating the theatre's construction. He describes the role as "a nightmare" and adds, "To be honest Emily does more of that. Emily's very good logistically. I do more of the creative stuff." Hendy sees this as one of Evolution's strengths: "Very often it's one man running a company. We're two people who have very strong skills in what we do. I often think if I was running this on my own, my business side wouldn't be very good as I'd want to be spending loads of money on making it spectacular, whereas Emily's very good and reminds me I've got to meet the bottom line." Husband and wife, Paul and Emily, work well as a team due to their passion for each other and the genre. Pantomime, for them both, is a pure labour of love in every sense. "This is what excites me," says Hendy enthusiastically, "This is what drives me. I get up every morning excited and enjoy every aspect of pantomime." One of Hendy's earliest pantomime memories was seeing Les Dawson and Michael Barrymore at the Wolverhampton Grand. "All I can remember is Les Dawson telling lots of funny jokes," he reminisces. It seems Dawson and his joke telling heavily influenced Hendy as comedy lies at the very heart of each and every Evolution pantomime. "Comedy's a big thing in my life and that's what I like to see," he adds. "I did my first professional panto when I was 18 years old. I remember Les Dawson came to the show, as he lived nearby, and he came up to me and said, 'You were very good son, very good'." Although Hendy says he doesn't have any pantomime idols, Dawson features heavily in our conversation and crops up yet again on the subject of Dame. "Personally, I like it to be a fat bloke in a dress. That's what I think is a Dame," he explains. "There are many different schools of thought about what a Dame should be and that's great and it's open to debate and interpretation. Ultimately a bloke in a dress is funny. Somebody just putting on women's clothing and looking glamorous isn't funny." Cross-dressing is a staple of the genre and Hendy still casts some female Principal Boys in his shows. But how important is tradition to him? "I don't like tradition for tradition's sake," he says. "There's no point of 'Oh it's got to be that because that's what it's always been.' We're called Evolution and I think pantomimes should evolve." Whereas many pantomime producers are afraid to deviate from the Victorian practices of Augustus Harris at Drury Lane, Hendy is always looking at ways to tweak and play with the genre, adding his own ideas into the mixing pot to keep pantomime fresh and exciting for a 21st Century audience. A unique pantomime practitioner, Hendy has covered all the roles of performer, writer, director and producer. But how did that all happen? "For 26 years I've been doing panto every year. Along the way I came and did panto here in Canterbury for Kevin Wood, Emily's father. I've always been quite pushy; I was probably a director's nightmare! I was always going 'What about this?' 'What about that?' Then Kevin gave me the opportunity to direct in High Wycombe and then I started writing and it's sort of gone on from there." Six years ago Hendy added the role of producer to his CV when Evolution Productions was born. Since then the company have produced 23 pantomimes (not including this season's five) and have worked with a bevy of stars, including Sheila Ferguson, Matt Baker, Nigel Havers and Toyah Wilcox. Regarding the ingredients needed for the perfect pantomime, Hendy cites that finding the right artist for the role is crucial. "There are people who can entertain," he explains. "People who can 'do it', but it's a very specific genre and not everyone can necessarily 'do it'." Hendy has noticed a "definite difference" when it comes to casting over the six years he's been producing pantomimes. "When we'd first phone up and ask, some agents would say to us, 'No they don't do panto.' Nobody's said that to me for about three or four years. There's been a definite shift there, people will consider it now." Out of the many pantomime titles, Aladdin is Hendy's favourite. "It's got everything you want in a pantomime: It's an adventure story, it's a love story, it's got a great arc, a strong Baddie and you can play the Genie any way. Personally, I like a comedy Genie." 2010 will see Evolution add two new titles to their already impressive portfolio of seven: Sleeping Beauty at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Robin Hood at the Marlowe Theatre Arena, Canterbury. 2010 will also see them producing at the Alban Arena, St Albans for the first time, where Larry Lamb will star in Peter Pan as Captain Hook, a role Canterbury's Sheriff of Nottingham, John Thomson, played for First Family Entertainment last year in Manchester. Back at rehearsals I ask Thomson what he would say to those who believe pantomime is a dying form. "Rubbish - it's on the up," he replies without hesitation. "Do you know why it's on the up? They're using actors again. There's no point doing panto with 'second rate' celebrities or sportsmen like they have done in the past. If you're using actors, then you've got a great show. If the cast's strong, great." Thomson's words echo Hendy's and it is clear that all at Evolution sing from the same panto song sheet. With Hendy at the helm, the genre is in safe hands as it proudly sails into the 21st Century, ready to delight young and old with its cross-dressing capers and shouts of 'Oh No It Isn't!' / 'Oh Yes It Is!' With over 25 years of pantomime behind him, here's to Hendy's next 25... 'Robin Hood' runs from 3rd December 2010 - 16th January 2011 at the Marlowe Theatre Arena, Canterbury. For more information on Evolution Productions and their pantomimes, visit www.evolution-productions.co.uk
|
||
|
|
