Pulling back the curtain

In that famous old film The Wizard of Oz, there’s the well-known scene where Toto reveals who ‘the wizard’ really is. When it comes to the theatre, do you ever wonder what you’d see if you could pull back the curtain? About what the cast does while out of sight of the audience?

Like The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella is also a regular production on the panto circuit, so we’ve asked two stars from its 2022 festive run what they got up to behind the scenes. Kim Shepherd has performed in many pantos at the Adam Smith Theatre in recent years and played Cinderella in last year’s show, while Cameron Fulton took the part of Buttons.

Anticipating showtime

Firstly, how do you guys feel just before a performance and do you have any routines or rituals? “I’m always nervous before a performance,” explains Kim. “The excitement that builds up before a panto is like no other. Last time I always gave the horse a wee good luck tap before every show! A bit silly, but there we go.”

“Before a performance I always feel excited,” declares Cameron. “Especially when you’re in the wings and hear the audience pre-show. That buzz never leaves you! As far as pre-show rituals go, I’m not in any way superstitious, so nothing follows me job to job. However, during panto, getting a lentil soup from Bayne’s pre-show has become a routine, for sure (it’s brilliant)!”

Playing the waiting game

And what do you do when there’s some downtime? “During the hours between shows, the cast usually hang out together and share stories,” states Cameron. “Panto is always a great bonding experience, as there’s a lot of time to chat when the shows are at 10am and 7pm!”

How about when you’re offstage for a while? “I mostly look at my phone, fix my make-up and listen to what’s going on to make sure I don’t miss my next cue,” reveals Kim. “I do like to stay in the wings where possible, though.”

After the curtain’s come down

When the performance is over, what does it feel like backstage for the cast and crew? “Everyone is on a high from just finishing the show,” recalls Kim. “Oh”, she adds, “and usually we’re all hungry!”

“There’s always a buzz behind the scenes at the end of a performance,” Cameron says. “We laugh about things we found funny during the show (often when someone messed up, or did something a bit different that didn’t quite work) and share our favourite parts. It was a brilliant team last year, so we’re also often just telling everyone how great they are!”

Thanks to Kim and Cameron for letting us ‘pull back the curtain’, and we look forward to welcoming old and new audiences back to panto at the Adam Smith for Christmas 2023.