Yesterday I spent the day in Panto land! A bit early? Yes, but it's my job to dress the stars up and make them look good to publicise our wonderful show-to-be 'Sleeping Beauty'!
My day started at 8am, the cosumes arrive and I have to get them unpacked and in dressing rooms, ready for when Joe Pasquale (Muddles) Ray Quinn (Prince) Ceri Dupree(Lady Passionella), and Lucy Evans (Princess Beauty) arrive. Meanwhile the crew are building a huge plush four-poster bed, and guiding a beautiful white unicorn into position.
This pantomime will mark my 6th at the Hippodrome, and my 4th time working with Joe. Whom I adore! He's so funny, and so good at what he does. I love him to bits. We had so much fun together when I dressed him as 'Leo' in the uk tour of 'The Producers'.
This is my first time meeting Ceri Dupree, Lucy Evans (Who has starred in Coronation St) and X Factor winner Ray Quinn. They all seem very lovely and I look forward to chirstmas, it should be great fun!
The stars arrive (Joe: "You've lost weight love! Where's it all gone!?") and I show them to dressing rooms and they can get settled, have tea and biscuits and make themselves at home! I go out on a breakfast run for bacon and sausage sandwiches. Joe passes - he's on a health kick!
10am and all the press have arrived and are in place, so everybody gets ready. I help Lucy in to her gorgeous princess dress, and lots of sparkly jewellry. The guys need little help, but I give them a quick check over and pull Joe's socks up for him!!!
We let the press loose and most of my job is done for the moment, I just hang around and watch making sure that the costumes look good for the photos. There's then time for a very quick break (you have to grab them when you can!) and everyone is back upstairs for more interviews. A bit more hanging around for me, but it's all good fun to watch!
Next the Director Michael Harrison gives friends of the theatre and group bookers get a little sneaky peek at cast members and talks about his aspirations for this years show. Deri does a quick minutes, Michael talks to Ray and Lucy and Joe does a 10 minute set that has us all in stitches.
It's then time for a buffet lunch with the audience, it's very strange to walk into a room with the stars of the show. You get starred at alot! It's all fun though, I helped take pictures and find pens for autographs!
So, all too soon it was time for me to pack everything up, and send it all back on the truck. It won't seem like five minutes until I see it again in December I'm sure!
An Exausting, but very enjoyable day in show buisness!
xxx
