North East panto legend Ray Spencer may not be treading the boards this festive season but his daughter will be.
Natasha Haws will be stepping into the spotlight in the leading role of Little Red Riding Hood in The Customs House’s annual panto this December.
The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from South Shields said, “It’s so exciting but it’s nerve-racking at the same time. I can’t wait to get up onto the stage of the theatre I grew up in.
“I have big shoes to fill and there’ll be a lot of expectations but that will make me work extra hard.”
Ray Spencer was part of the Mill Dam venue’s panto for 18 years before a knee injury stopped him performing last year.
The dad-of-four, who has written and directed the theatre’s pantomime for the last 19 years, added, “I’m very proud of Natasha as a dad but I’m also looking forward to working with her because as a director you want the best cast possible and she is someone I know can really act and sing and I think she will be a brilliant Red.”
This may be her first principal role at the South Shields theatre but she’s certainly no stranger to the venue’s stage.
“I was one of the babes for about seven or eight years,” she said, “and I used to watch my mam and dad from the wings, now it’s my turn, it seems a bit surreal.”
Spencer has performed in pantos in South Shields for almost four decades, while his partner and Natasha’s mother, Patricia Hawes, took part in numerous festive shows.
And how will she cope with her dad in the director’s chair?
“I’m sure I’ll get it every day that he did panto for 37 years,” she laughed, “and what a great principal boy mam was too.
“I can’t wait to get started.”
“We’ve been going through a bit of a transition in The Customs House pantomime,” Spencer added, “but I think we have people in the right roles and with great characters, a funny script—written with Graeme Thompson—and fantastic costume and set design by Paul Shriek, the little panto with the big heart is going to be better than ever.”
Little Red Riding Hood