Peter Pan is set to fly high at Eden Court with a thrilling story, a sprinkling of pixie dust – and added nonsense from the top double act that is Dame Steven Wren and his comedy partner Ross Allan.
The much-loved duo are returning to the Inverness stage to bring their unique comedy to proceedings when the glittering festive treat starts its run from Wednesday December 7.
“You can expect flying, a reasonably accurate telling of the story, so there’s lots of Peter Pan story in there – but with added nonsense from us,” said Steven, who will be Eden Court’s dame for the sixth time.
Steven, who will play Mrs McSmee, and Ross, who will be Starkey, said they are delighted to be reunited in the Peter Pan panto.
Challenge of keeping the Eden Court panto fresh and funny
“What I love about coming back again and again is the relationship with the audience, that’s not something I have had in any other job,” said Steven.
“And it’s not just me, it’s the double act that has happened. We hear from people who say: ‘Oh, are you both back, that’s great because you’re so funny’. That’s the sort of feedback that makes an actor feel really nice.”
But Steven has also set himself a challenge when it comes to keeping the Eden Court panto fresh and funny, year after year.
“I have never repeated a gag – and that is a pressure. But that’s the creative thrill as well to ask ‘how can I make this as funny, but not use the same gags as before’.”
The duo feed into the script, bringing in the essential local humour that is the hallmark of the Eden Court panto.
Steven said: “I usually write a wordplay sketch, last year it was Hailey Bailey’s ceilidh, but mostly what I do is ‘Scotiafy’, the scripts to make them Scottish and local and reverberate with the Scottish language.
“For example, I was just saying this morning that instead of the Jolly Roger the ship should be called the Crabbit James.”
Trust is heart of chemistry between Eden Court’s panto stalwarts
Writing apart, it’s clear that Steven and Ross have a great rapport on stage, one that audiences really enjoy. So what’s the secret to that chemistry?
Ross said: “I think there’s a lot to be said for just been good actors. When people talk about chemistry between people, I think there’s a lot to be said for just being good performers.
“We don’t just rest on the fact ‘we have a thing going and it will be fine’. Every year it’s like it’s new again and that’s what good performers do, they work well together.”
Steven added that a huge part of the relationship is the trust he has in Ross on stage as well as how much they like each other.
“He’s never going to leave me dangling on stage. If he goes off on a tangent, he comes back and we pick it up and does the same with me.
“If I have a witty moment and something happens and we play the instant truth of it, Ross doesn’t go ‘I can be funnier than that’ he goes ‘that’s your moment, have it.’ It’s that trust and flexibility and knowing the other person is there to do what they have to do and is there to cover your back.”
What is the secret of a good pantomime at Eden Court?
Peter Pan promises to be a brilliant show full of colour and spectacle with a stellar cast, including Reece Duncan as Peter, Lorenza Michelucci-Dunn as Wendy, Laura Blair as Tinker Bell and Scott Ainslie as Captain Hook.
But what do Steven and Ross believe is the secret to a good panto?
“Maybe it’s because I play the eejit all the time, but for me, it has to be funny, the funniest thing ever,” said Ross.
“Whenever I come into rehearsal or read a script, even if I have one line that says ‘yes, sir’, I ask how do I make that funny. I try to find the humour in things nobody expects to be funny. Humour is very big in panto. If it’s not funny, nobody is listening.”
Steven said tradition plays a key role.
“It’s the ‘behind you’ stuff like the ghost, or in this case, the crocodile, because audience participation is hugely important – the ‘oh yes you will’ and booing the baddies.”
But Steven also said the depth of the story-telling is the bedrock on which panto is built.
“For me, I like the story to have an absolute parallel place and equal importance to the nonsense and in this show it does. It’s literally story, nonsense, story, nonsense. I want to make memories.”
Both actors hope audiences will leave Peter Pan with a ‘sense of the season’.
Audiences should feel like they’ve had a hug from Peter Pan panto
“I want them to feel that everything is back on track, that life’s back on track. I want them to feel like they’ve had a big hug,” said Steven.
“If we can give people a lift into Christmas, or if things have been a bit rubbish, a lift into the New Year, then that’s us doing our job.”
Peter Pan will run at Eden Court in Inverness from Wednesday December 7 to Sunday January 8. For more tickets and information visit eden-court.co.uk
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