Why is pantomime so important to the community and to young people as typically their first theatre experience?

Pantomime season is more than just a theatrical tradition. It’s a cultural phenomenon! The Christmas Panto is probably the most inclusive, most magical of theatre experiences. Every year we see theatres up and down the land jam-packed with audiences that range from the youngest children to the oldest grandparents, and everyone is having an absolute whale of a time. It's one of the most accessible art forms designed to be a great night out of story, song and merriment with friends and family. It's not stuffy and serious. You can shout out and sing-a-long, you can laugh-out-loud and boo the baddie; it's raucous, feel-good fun where we ridicule ourselves, our town, our celebrities and politicians. It's often a child's first experience of live performance and studies have shown that children who visit pantomimes are more likely to continue seeing shows throughout their lives. That's the power of panto!

What are you most excited about for Sleeping Beauty?

There are so many elements to be excited about this year. Wilsher, Plested and Brown who co-wrote Cinderella and Dick Whittington are returning with a hilarious script full of magical mayhem and some absolute bangers on the song front - Wham and Avicii to name a couple of the artists involved this year. Our designer, Katie Lias, has created some fantastic set and costume designs and the cast we've put together are not only hilarious but have killer voices too. I can't wait till Christmas!

What should audiences expect from Sleeping Beauty?

Audiences can look forward to the kind of all-singing, all-dancing, giggle-inducing festive extravaganza that they've come to expect from Salisbury Playhouse. The theatre has a reputation for giving good Panto. It has won awards and been nominated for several more. What I think sets Salisbury apart is the attention to the story. We want the audience to care about the characters and root for the heroes, and this year the story is a real cracker. 

What’s your favourite part about directing in Salisbury/for Salisbury audiences?

I'm really excited to be returning to Salisbury this year. There's a wonderful sense of community spirit in Wiltshire and I've found that the audiences are always so up for it. It's actually really moving to see the different generations connecting through joy, laughter, dance, and music. As the festive season progresses you can see the way the pantomime weaves its magic through the community, with adults archly sharing the dame's witty ripostes and kids singing the show's celebratory songs. 

How exciting is it to work on a production that is made in-house?   

Salisbury's production team are second to none, delivering props, set and costumes worthy of the West End. There are lots of big commercial pantomime companies out there but in my humble opinion they lack the heart and dedication of the playhouse team. Rather than wheeling out tired old sets and dresses from yesteryear, the Playhouse creates fresh new innovative designs year in year out so you're never seeing the same thing twice. Every year I'm in utter awe of the way they realise our vision for the show and bring our designs to life. It's witchcraft, I tell you! Pure magic.