Theatre Severn’s panto production of Jack And The Beanstalk has been delighting Shropshire audiences (of all ages!) with its slapstick humour and festive fun. At the centre of it all is the ever-brilliant Brad Fitt, who is both directing the show and starring as Dame Trott. We recently caught up with Brad to chat about all things pantomime and Shropshire...

Spending the festive season in Shropshire has become a tradition for you. What, apart from panto, do you like most about being in the Shire?

I love Shropshire - and so much so that I’ve actually moved to Oswestry! I’ve moved the entire family here, and so this Christmas will be a 25-minute journey home rather than four hours. 
Norfolk [Brad’s previous home] is beautiful by the beach, but during the summer it’s rammed and then in winter they close everything up.
We were looking at moving to Wales because we love camping and hiking. I’ve got three boys who are now 13, 15 and 18 and they like Wales. As for me, I needed somewhere I can get to London to within three hours or so... And so we found a place in Oswestry. We had two weeks rehearsal & tech for Jack And The Beanstalk, and within that, we had two days off. On the first day, I moved from Norfolk to Oswestry, and on the second, I unpacked my boxes.

Do you have any favourite haunts or places in Shrewsbury that you like to visit?

I like my coffee in the morning and go to Ginger & Co, which is an independent coffee shop near the square. I love the market - that’s my favourite thing. I took Tommy [who plays Billy in the panto] the other day. He loved it and had no idea it was there. The market is my go-to place. Even when I was living in Norfolk, I would go and get my veg there and go to the butchers. I love the guy who does pasta; that’s become a Christmas Eve tradition for me - ordering the pasta and sauces, which is an easy dinner when I get back home. Shrewsbury Market - that’s my hot tip for everything!

We reckon this year’s panto is the best yet from Evolution [the producers]. Great news - but will that add to the pressure when preparing for Sleeping Beauty next year?

I think it’s good to have something to work on. It’s lovely coming back and building a rapport with the audience. The last character of every pantomime is the audience, who have to play their part. You could come along and just sit there with your arms crossed, sucking a boiled sweet and not getting involved, and you would probably enjoy yourself, but it wouldn’t be as good. When an audience throw themselves into it, when they react and shout back, they play their part and bring it all together. It’s really important that you have a rapport with the audience. The nice thing about coming back is that you already have that. It’s easier in a way, but they’re also going to hold you to account because they know what’s been before. You can’t rest on your laurels - or your Ghost Gag Bench! 

As always, you end up wearing plenty of spectacular outfits. How involved have you been in creating Dame Trott’s costumes? 

I go for a fitting, usually around March/April time, and try on various things. Evolution have a brilliant guy called Michael Batchelor, who is the Dame in Crawley and also a costume designer. Most of the big, impressive costumes, like baked bean tins, they come via Michael. I have a bit of input, but sometimes I just go for a fitting and say ‘Oh, I like this one!’ It’s like being in the world’s craziest TK Maxx.

We don’t want to give too much away for those who've not yet seen the show, but I’m sure the word is out there…. There’s a certain scene featuring a music icon that is pure comedy gold. How did that come about?

That was created last year. The kids think it’s funny because it’s a funny costume, but they don’t really know who this icon is, whereas it’s going down very well with the adults. They love it - and I’ve come up with a few more gags that go into the evening shows, not because they’re naughty or rude or anything like that, but the family audiences get them whereas the kids don’t.
You sort of change your performance for school shows. You do exactly the same show with exactly the same script, jokes, songs, dances... The only real change is what you do and don’t dwell on - what you push past and where you stop and spend more time. You don’t know until you get on stage what sort of audience you might have. It may be a teenage-heavy audience that are going to be completely different to the one you’ve had before, which was little five & six-year-olds. That’s why it’s fun. It’s constantly evolving.

How long does it take you to get ready before the show?

If I was to sit there and just concentrate on putting my face on, it would actually only take me 15 or 20 minutes, but in total it takes me about an hour. That’s because I put one thing on and then get called away to do the vocal warm-up. Then I might go and make a cup of tea. I’ll then come back and put another eye on and then maybe have a chat with someone... 
I’d say the tights are the hardest thing to get on. That, and getting into the padded suit. 

What’s your favourite way to wind down post-panto?

My husband Shane and I used to go on holiday literally the day after the run. Then, about 11 or 12 years ago, we fostered. We now have three boys - Alfie, Riley and Toby - and since they’ve been with us, that’s all changed. School term times dictate holidays. Last year I finished on the Sunday, and on the Monday I was in Manchester opening An Inspector Calls. This year I’m directing Dear Zoo - a kids’ show based on the book by Rod Campbell, which is actually opening at Theatre Severn’s Walker Theatre in February. It will be the first date of its tour. 
I’m really looking forward to Christmas this year because I normally get home 9.30/10pm on Christmas Eve and am absolutely flat out. I spend Christmas Day on the sofa doing nothing because I’m shattered. I usually have to leave by about 6am the next morning to drive back because we have a matinee on Boxing Day. This year I should be home at five o’clock and won’t have to leave until midday on Boxing Day, so all good.

Your 2020 show paid homage to panto at a time when lots of shows had to be cancelled. Do you feel like much has changed in the years following?

There was a concern that people wouldn’t come back in the numbers that we needed to run. Theatre is an expensive thing to produce and get out on the road - and costs have gone up. In producing, everything is more expensive now, but thankfully people have come back. I think they  were desperate to get back to the theatre and do things they enjoyed. PW Productions was one of the first companies to go back out on tour with The Woman In Black. We had to do it socially distanced. It was tight and it was hard but we got through it. I’m glad to say theatre is back and that audiences have returned and are as big - or bigger - than they were before.

If someone was hoping to begin working in panto, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give them?

I trained as a stage manager and I fell into theatre. I was at college doing media studies, which I didn’t enjoy because a careers advisor had said I might like television. I got a job as an usher  selling programmes at Theatre Royal in Norwich. I then got spotted by Peter Wilson, who ran the theatre. I used to make these display boards, and he offered me a job as a prop-maker on Aladdin,  which starred Christopher Biggins and Victor Spinetti. I fell in love with backstage and became a stage manager. I just did everything I could to be involved.
I’ve been very lucky being in the right place at the right time. My advice would be that if you can volunteer to help backstage at your local amateur dramatics society, or anything like that, then you’ll get great training. You’re in the wings, get to watch what’s happening and are very much involved. You’ll learn so much. A lot of good actors, producers, directors and designers will have a grounding in stage management. I’m a big advocate for learning stage management as a base for moving off into whatever area of theatre you want.

And what have you been up to when not working on panto with Evolution?

My work away from panto is very varied. I direct kids’ shows, I work as a producer for PW Productions and I look after shows like The Woman In Black and An Inspector Calls. We’re doing Spirited Away, which is the stage version of the Studio Ghibli film and opening at the London Coliseum in April. A lot of the work I do is at my office in London, and then two or three days a week I work from home. I also spend time working around the country.