Baby Fairypowered had a day off hospital visits so, she sat down with the stars of Snow White – Josh Benson (Muddles), Marina Lawrence- Mahrra (Snow White), Gareth Gates (The Prince), Jenny Ryan (The Wicked Queen) and Jamie Jones (Mrs Nelly Nightnurse).
You can catch Snow White at Darlington Hippodrome from Friday 8th to Sunday 31st December. Tickets available from the theatre, over the phone or online
Have you ever been to Darlington before?
JOSH Yes, I came last year to see what it was like and thought it was fun which made me want to do panto here this year.
MARINA Yes, I have family up here and they are all very excited to see the Panto
GARETH I’ve been here a few times and I’m looking forward to spending a few weeks here. I’m planning on exploring the area whilst I’m here.
JENNY This is the first time I’ve been to Darlington and I’m really looking forward to it.
JAMIE I’ve never been but I’m looking forward to spending time here.
Have you done panto before?
JOSH Yes. I appeared as a kid in Panto in 2007 in York and did my first panto as an adult in Chesterfield in 2018. I did 3 seasons in Halifax starting in 2019 but due to Covid I did a travelling panto in 2020 which was a lot of fun.
MARINA I played Princess Tiger Lily in Bradford.
GARETH This is either my 12th or 13th panto, I’ve lost count. Pantos are always fun to do and I can’t imagine not doing them now.
JENNY This is my third panto. My previous two were playing Caraboss in Sleeping Beauty so I’m looking forward to playing a different villain this time.
JAMIE I’ve been doing panto for 15 years, I started at 16 and I’m 29 now. I mostly play dames but I’ve also played villains, a fairy and a few comic roles but the dame is my forte.
What do you plan to do in your time off from the show?
JOSH We don’t get a lot of off time from the show but I’m an entertainment manager for York Maze so I have a lot of work to do for that. Any time I do have off i will be resting as my role involves a lot of jumping around and being silly so even if Im doing work for York Maze I’ll have my feet up.
MARINA We don’t get much time off really but any time off I do have I plan on doing some yoga and prepping healthy meals.
GARETH We’re doing two shows every day and we’re only off on Mondays but I’ll have family coming up and I’m planning on spending time with my daughter.
JENNY I will most likely be sleeping but I plan to hang out in Darlington. I know friends and family are coming to visit so I’m hoping to go on a few day trips with them.
JAMIE I’m going to try and see other shows. I love panto and have friends in the area appearing in other shows. This time of year is just panto, panto, panto.
What can you tell us about Snow White?
JOSH I’ve not seen the script yet but it will be the traditional story that everyone knows and loves. It’s going to be exciting and daft.
MARINA I’ve not met the director yet but she’s positive, kind and excited to see the world. I’m excited to play the part.
GARETH I’ve worked with CrossRoads before in the past. The script looks fantastic and there are lots of jokes for adults and laughs for the kids. The cast are really fun and upbeat as well which is always a good thing
JAMIEVery little, it is a strict secret. It’s going to be a blast, we’ve got a number one recording artist and a really funny dame as part of the cast and I’m hoping I don’t scare too many people
JAMIE It’s going to be a great show. I love my costumes and the scenery is stunning. We have some really great flying effects as well. There are laughs for everyone in the show.
Do you enjoy panto? Would you like to do other theatre roles?
JOSH I love Panto. I’m a children’s entertainer so I get to be myself. Panto roles lend themselves to my natural skill set which is always fun. I would like to play Micky in Blood Brothers but I’m not fussed about roles.
MARINA Yes, you get to be silly and you get to make children smile. I would love to play the leading lady in a new musical because my heart is in musical theatre
GARETH I’m from Bradford which is a really big panto city. It’s about bringing joy and making people happy. I’ve been in some really great shows including Les Miserables, Joseph and recently SpongeBob the musical but I would love to play Ffiyero in Wicked.
JENNY I love panto. I think children should be given a ticket to see the panto to help encourage them into the theatre. I would love a small part in a West End show with a little bit of singing.
JAMIE Enjoy isn’t a strong enough word, I’m obsessed with panto. Panto is the first thing most children see at the theatre. I still love going to the panto even now. Panto is very humour based so I would love to play a more serious role or someone like Dolly from Hello Dolly or Bert from Mary Poppins.
What is it like playing your character?
JOSH It’s very easy. I get to use my natural skill set but it is a physically exhausting role with all the jumping around.
MARINA It’s nice to feel young again and it is always fun to be a princess.
GARETH I play the Prince and it is really great. I’ve played the Prince before and it was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to this show because I get to sing one of my own songs.
JENNY Being a villain is a lot of fun, you get to be very over the top in the role. I’m looking forward to scaring the little children so it’s a brilliant role for a Chaser.
JAMIE I love my character. I love the costume, wig and shoe changes. I have a different look every time I come on stage. I make all my own costumes so I plan everything depending on the scene and what is happening. In this show I have between 12 and 15 entrances and I have a different look for each one. I love working with the rest of the cast as well so it’s going to be a fun show.
What do you plan to do on Christmas Day?
JOSH My main plan is to sleep. I’m going to have a nice calm day and make the most of my time off.
MARINA I plan on seeing some family, eating good food and having a glass of bubbly. I’m also looking forward to having some time off from wearing makeup, even if it’s just for the day.
GARETH I’m glad to be doing a panto up north because it means I can go home for Christmas as it is less than a two hour drive back. With some previous pantos I’ve been too far from home to make the journey worthwhile but Darlington is perfect for me in that regard.
JENNY Hopefully my parents will come and visit. If they do, we will most likely have a proper christmas dinner and I’ll fall asleep during the Strictly Christmas special.
JAMIE Sleep? No, I’ll try and go home. I’m from Lichfield in the midlands so I can drive home after the show on Christmas Eve and come back on Boxing Day morning.
Do you plan to see any other pantos while you are in the area?
JOSH I’m going to try and see other shows, Newcastle is meant to be a good panto so I’m going to try and see that if I can.
MARINA Sadly I won’t have time to see other shows but I wish I could.
GARETH Unfortunately we all tend to have the same day off so it’s hard to see other shows. If I can, I’m going to try and see the shows in Sunderland, Hartlepool or Newcastle because I’ve heard a lot about them.
JENNY If there is time and no overlap. A lot of shows have the same off day so it’s hard to see other shows during panto season.
JAMIE I’m going to try. Hopefully on days where we have a morning show and a matinee I will be able to go and see a show in the evening in the area.