Actor Tom Mann is so energised about his return to Poole in pantomime this Christmas he could boost the National Grid!
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be back,” he grins.
“When Chris [Jarvis] rang me and said they’d been thinking about me for the Prince, honestly, I had to hold it in because I had such a nice time when I was here before. I did a little audition piece on my phone, sang a song, and they phoned me the next day and said they’d really like me to come back.
“And here I am, I can’t wait to get started!”
Having all but stolen the show as Cupid in Beauty and the Beast three years ago, it was only a matter of time before we saw him back on stage at Lighthouse. This time he’s playing Prince Ken, who delivers the all-important kiss that awakens Princess Rose (Beauty) from her spellbound slumber.
“I actually went to audition for the Prince in Beauty and the Beast and in the room they asked me to read Cupid and I got the part from that. It was brilliant. It was the Fairy and the Comic all combined – a really great part – and this year, even from the three pages I read in the audition, it’s clear this is not your usual Prince; he’s definitely got something to him.”
Prince Ken is created by the good fairies with the sole purpose of saving Princess Rose, but along the way he becomes ‘real’ – a bit like Pinocchio meets The Terminator, perhaps?
“Yes, to an extent. He’s got one mission and, at first, anything that deviates that confuses him, but he finds different paths to follow along the way so there’s a story about him becoming a real Prince not just a story book character. It’s exciting.
“A lot of princes in pantomimes are there to be the love interest and that’s all, whereas this Prince has got a bit more to him. That’s what’s so nice about the Poole panto – because it’s produced in-house it gives Chris, as the writer, more chance to have fun and experiment with what panto is; to have fun with the characters.”
Audiences love to have a good time at panto, but it’s not always fully understood just how much thought goes into making a show that really connects with people.
“Panto is not easy – it’s very specialised and some actors who have never done panto find it quite a difficult thing to get their head around because although you’re playing a character which is larger than life, you still have to find the truth in that character or no one will care.
“Initially, Prince Ken comes from a story book so he’s not part of the world of the panto, he has his own story, which is to save Princess Rose, but he has to be a character the audience feels an emotion and a connection to.
“As an actor you still have to be creatively fulfilled so no matter how crazy or un-lifelike it is you still have to find a real character that has real emotions and real ups and downs. In some pantos I’ve seen recently there’s no stakes because the characters don’t feel real, whereas with the Poole panto the stakes feel so high and so real and that’s what makes the panto enjoyable, especially for the kids because without the stakes they just wouldn’t get it and there’d nothing for them to root for.”
As is the Poole way, Sleeping Beauty is a traditional family pantomime with lots of family fun, silly jokes and singalong songs from the same team – writer-director Chris Jarvis (who also plays Dame), production designer James Smith, choreographer Daniel Donladson Todd and musical director Adam Tuffrey – that created award winning recent Lighthouse pantos Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and last year’s Aladdin.
That was a major reason Tom jumped at the chance to come back.
“For me, it’s not just about the show,” he explains. “The last time I was here, as an actor I just felt so looked after, that’s what made it so brilliant; and it was Covid so everyone was a bit nervous, but everyone came together and made something special happen. That’s what this place does, so I was really happy to come back.”
And Tom’s not the only one who’s returning to Poole. Alongside Chris as Dame Nanny Nutkins and last year’s comic turn Josh Haberfield, EastEnders/Grange Hill star Todd Carty – who appeared at Lighthouse in The Mousetrap in April – is also excited to be coming back.
“I really felt part of the family here so I’m not surprised others feel it too. The only thing is, I didn’t see much of Poole last time because of Covid. If someone in the show had got Covid, the show would have had to close so we all took it very carefully.
“But my mum, my nan and my brother, they’ll all come for Christmas – they came last time I was here and they loved it. My girlfriend is away though – she’s a Disney Princess in Hong Kong and it was her dream to do that. I’ll go over in January for three months – that’s my reward for panto!”
:: Sleeping Beauty runs until Sunday 5 January. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/sleeping-beauty/ or call 01202 280000.
(NC)