Pantomime at the

Theatre Royal Plymouth

Since its opening in 1982 the Theatre Royal Plymouth has become one of the largest and best attended regional producing theatres in Britain and the leading promoter of theatre in the South West of England.

An ever-expanding range of activity has, in recent years, seen the theatre achieve popular success, critical acclaim and artistic excellence, with annual audiences of over 350,000. Last year 11% of the audience were first time attenders.

As well as welcoming the leading touring drama, opera and dance companies to the South West (including the RSC, RNT, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Glyndebourne Touring Opera and Welsh National Opera), the Theatre Royal produces or co-produces a number of drama and musical productions each year, many of which go on to find audiences elsewhere, either on tour or in London. Through its partnership with Qdos it presents it's annual pantomimes - Nigel and Peter were of course there over the 2004/5 season and during a conversation with one of the theatres regular dressers Sylvia, it was discovered that she had backstage photos of many of the leading stars of the annual pantomimes almost dating back to its opening in 1982. With her permission, we are reproducing some of them and incorporating them into a history of pantomime at the Theatre Royal which was put together with information from the theatres website www.theatreroyal.com

Sylvia
 

THANK YOU

To Sylvia, of course, and to Mark James who was very helpful in pointing out that the 1988 Pantomime was Robinson Crusoe starring Ruth Madoc (and has promised some pictures in due course!). We are also very grateful to Michael Butcher for his pictures of the Pantomime Exhibition from the pantomime season 2003/4 which celebrated the Theatre's 21st Birthday and also a huge thank you to the Theatre Royal Plymouth (Steve Coffey) for supplying some additional pictures for this article. Mark James has also supplied information that Peggy Mount did not appear, as advertised, in 1984's Mother Goose with Danny La Rue because she was ill - her part was taken by Patsy Rowlands.

Click on Images to Enlarge

1982 – Cinderella

Starring Harry Worth, Rikki Fulton, Ian Lavender and Mark Wynter

1983 – Babes in the Wood

Starring Terry Scott, Bernard Bresslaw, Dilys Watling and Norman Vaughan

1984 – Mother Goose

Starring Danny La Rue, Patsy Rowlands, Patricia Michael, Billy Boyle, Charles West,

Polly Ann Tanner, The Simmons Brothers, Kay Lyell and David Elle

Patsy Rowlands replaced the advertised Peggy Mount as she was unable to appear due to illness

1985 – Aladdin

Starring Roy Hudd, Jack Tripp, Leon Greene, Allen Christie, Jacinta Mulcahy and The Great Soprendo

1986 (November) - Snow White

Starring Ted Rogers, Honor Blackman and Jessica Martin

This 'preview' production then headed for Aberdeen for the pantomime season

1986 – Cinderella

Starring Paul Henry, Susan Maughan, Nyree Dawn Porter, Bill Simpson, Jacinta Mulcahy, Jan Hartley,

Chris Harris and Simon Browne

1987 – Dick Whittington & His Cat

Starring Bernard Cribbens, Anita Harris, Andrew Sacks, Glyn Owen, Edmund Hockridge, Nick Wilton and Chris Harris

1988 – Robinson Crusoe

Starring Ruth Madoc, John Nettles, Hope & Keen, Douglas Mounce,

Nick Staverson, Emma Chance, Adam Daye, Patrick Clancy, Claire Rimmer and Kenny Andrews

1989 – Sleeping Beauty

Starring Hinge & Brackett, Jeffrey Holland, Bernard Bresslaw, Bobby Crush, Peter Goodwright and Gemma Page

1990 – Cinderella

Starring Des O’Connor, Eric Sykes, Peggy Mount, The Simmons Brothers, David Morton and Brian Godfrey

1991 – Babes in the Wood

Starring Roy Hudd, June Whitfield, Keith Baron, Geoffrey Hughes, Jack Tripp, Anne Sidney, Gary Lovini and Jill Washington

Press Interview with Cast - opens in YouTube

1992 – Dick Whittington

Starring Les Dawson, Ellis Ward, Michelle Dotrice, Peter Goodwright and Patrick Mower

1993 – Jack and the Beanstalk

Starring Rolf Harris, Bonnie Langford, Dame Hilda Bracket, Carmen Silvera, Douglas Mounce and David Griffin

1994 – Aladdin

Starring Danny La Rue, Karl Howman, Gerald Harper, Vicki Michelle, Allan Stewart, Dawson Chance

1995 – Mother Goose

Starring Roy Hudd, Jack Tripp, Judi Spiers, Terence Donovan, Howard Leader,

Caroline Dennis, Debbie Flitcroft and Douglas Mounce

1996 – Dick Whittington

Starring Lesley Joseph, John Nettles, Jeffrey Holland, Nicholas Parsons,

The Simmons Brothers, Maria Rice-Mundy and Katie Budd

1997 – Peter Pan

Starring Russ Abbot, Chloe Newsome, Tim Marriott, The Acromaniacs, Jenny Logan, Tabitha Wady and Kerris Peeling

1998 – Jack and the Beanstalk

Starring Su Pollard, Tudor Davies, Seeta Indrani, Mark Speight, Terrance Hardiman and Scorpio (from Gladiators)

1999 – Cinderella

Starring Brian Conley, Danny La Rue, Dawson Chance, Miquel Brown, Catherine Debentham Taylor,

Duncan Breeze, David Morton and Brian Godfrey

2000 – Aladdin

Starring Gary Wilmot, John Inman and The Acromaniacs

2001 – Snow White

Starring Danny La Rue, Dave Benson Phillips, Britt Ekland and Rhodri Williams

2002 – Peter Pan

Starring John Nettles, Michaela Strachan and Keith Simmons

2003 – Dick Whittington

Starring Gary Wilmot, Jeffrey Holland, John Challis, Casey Lee Jolleys and Judy Buxton

2004 - Cinderella

Starring Brian Conley, Nigel Ellacott, Peter Robbins, Lynsey Britton, Rachel Spry,

Dawson Chance, Sean Needham and Jody Crosier

See Nigel and Peter's Pantomime Diary

2005 - Jack and the Beanstalk

Starring The Chuckle Brothers, Tudor Davies, Jason Pethers, Roni Elizabeth Hart, Veronica Hart, Spencer K Gibbins

2006 - Snow White

starring Linda Lusardi, Sam Kane, Leslie Grantham, Kev Orkian, Vicky Chandler

2007 - Peter Pan

starring Paul Nicholas, Toby Hull and Emu, Matt Slack, Kerris Peeling

2008 - Cinderella

starring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Laura Evans, Martin Ramsdin, David Robbins

2009 - Aladdin

starring Christopher Biggins, Ben Langley, Amy-Samantha Andrews

2010 - Sleeping Beauty

starring Joe Pasquale,  Ceri Dupree, Lucinda Shaw, Oliver Watton, Poppy Teirney,

Lucy Evans, Chris Howell, Katy Secombe, Alex Woodhall

2010 - Cinderella

starring Julian Clary, Keith Harris and Orville, Rosie Ashe, Tony Jackson, Daniel Krikler

If you have any further information or images they would like to share, please let us know by emailing us

As part of the 21st Celebrations of the Theatre Royal Plymouth, an exhibition of pantomime pictures and posters was displayed in the Circle Foyer for the pantomime season 2003/4. We are grateful to Michael Butcher for the following photos which do not enlarge.

This page was last updated 23rd July 2011