Grand Theatre Blackpool

Top Panto Star

Steve Royle is OVER 1,000 SHOWS! a Grand Millennial

Much-loved panto star and stand-up sensation Steve Royle will celebrate an incredible 1,000 pantomime performances in this year’s seasonal spectacular Sleeping Beauty at Blackpool Grand Theatre.

Ever popular panto star Steve Royle will take his 1,000th bow on the beautiful Blackpool Grand Theatre stage this year as he once again delights thousands of families in the magical pantomime Sleeping Beauty this Christmas. Oh yes he will!

Everyone’s favourite finalist from ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent will star as Silly Billy in this year’s fabulous, festive tale and it will be the thousandth time he has filled every member of his lucky panto audience with sheer joy and delight.

In his millennial year, Steve Royle will be swapping lines with Dancing on Ice champion and Emmerdale star Hayley Tamaddon and celebrated playwright and top soap screenwriter Philip Meeks (Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Doctors) in Sleeping Beauty’s enchanting tale of magic, mayhem and misunderstandings live on the Grand Theatre’s famous stage.

We spoke to the famous funny man and top panto star before he begins rehearsals for this year’s spectacular seasonal show and says ‘It’s behind you’ to his 1,000th panto performance! But what was Steve Royle’s first ever pantomime at The Grand?

“It was Peter Pan with Maureen Nolan in 2002,” said Steve. “As long as I can remember my eldest daughter’s birthday then I can remember what year I did my first panto at The Grand, because she was just 10 months old and learnt to walk in the narrow corridors outside the dressing rooms holding onto the walls for support. I’ve held on to those same walls for support many times since then during after show parties!”

And what was his favourite panto character? “I’ve always loved playing the part of Buttons because he plays such a major part in the pantomime and requires some ‘proper acting’ during the lovely pathos scenes. However, playing Smee alongside my good friend Tom Lister as Captain Hook has certainly provided me with the most laughs.

“I have so many favourite memories from over my panto years to choose from. Some of the funniest moments have come from the kids we’ve had on stage during the song sheet - I will always remember the child who said they wanted a remote-control submarine for Christmas. I couldn’t help saying “you’re going to be staring into space and crying at the side of a lake on Boxing Day with your Dad shouting “I told you not to press dive!” I also love the ballet lesson scene I wrote for Cinderella many years ago and it still rates as one of my favourite scenes I’ve ever performed.” And we at The Grand agree!

Madcap panto star Steve has also made hundreds of his co-stars laugh along the way, with some of them becoming firm friends. “I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing people from various areas and eras of show business,” he says. “Some have gone on to become close friends like Tom Lister, Danny Miller, Amy Thompson, & Hayley Kay. I recently went to Danny Millers wedding, and it was wonderful to see him do so well becoming King of the Castle on I’m a Celebrity last year.

“I think most people know that Tom Lister is now one of my closest friends and we regularly meet up for chats and drinks. We also collaborated a lot during the pandemic writing and performing on-line chat shows, sketches and of course our amazing Don’t Close The Curtains cabaret which we performed to care home residents through their windows. We see more of each other than we do our wives! (and have more of a laugh too, ha ha!) I also still get a Christmas card each year

from Tony Caunter (Roy Evans in EastEnders) who was the first star I worked with in Peter Pan in 2003. He’s a lovely guy who now spends his days on a Narrowboat called Tender Seas which happens to be an anagram of EastEnders!”

But why does he love panto so much? Steve said: ”I love panto for the same reasons comic legend Ken Dodd loved panto. It’s unique in the way it brings together all areas of the entertainment world. I get the chance to work with actors, dancers, singers, magicians and others all with amazing lives and careers. We also get to perform for young people who are often visiting the theatre for the first time. This can lead to a lifelong love of live entertainment. It’s always a pleasure when I meet people during the year and they tell me they have been watching me in panto all or most of their lives. It does however, also make me feel old. Oh yes it does!!”

And why does he choose to perform in panto at The Grand year after year? “Not only do I get to perform in the fabulous medium of pantomime, but I also get to do it in one of the world’s most beautiful theatres. I did pantomimes in other venues before Blackpool Grand, but there is no other place like it and I always get excited when I walk onto that stage knowing that so many entertainment greats have done so before me - Gracie Fields, Peggy Ashcroft, Rex Harrison, John Gielgud, Noel Coward, Thora Hird, Arthur Askey, Sid James and the late 19th century vaudeville star Dan Leno (who I was privileged to play recently in a tour of Naturally Insane and in London’s West End) and, of course, my personal hero Ken Dodd. Add to that the fact that it is run by some amazing people, including the wonderful Friends of the Grand (of whom I have the privilege of being an honorary member). I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!”

Join us for the greatest pantomime ever told starring top panto star Steve Royle as Silly Billy alongside TV favourites Hayley Tamaddon and Philip Meeks as Panto Dame Nursie! It’s never to early to book your seats! It’s a fabulous, fairytale treat for all the family this festive season!

Sleeping Beauty is presented by Martin Dodd for UK Productions Ltd, who has presented the Christmas pantomime at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre since 1996.

Sleeping Beauty is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Friday 2 December 2022 to Sunday 1 January 2023 with matinee and evening performances.

Accessible performances will also be available.

Blackpool Grand Theatre says Thank You a thousandfold to Steve Royle for his incredible 1,000 pantomime performances. Oh yes we do!

And you can too by booking your seats now for this year’s fabulous, family pantomime Sleeping Beauty. It’s jam-packed with marvellous music and dance, fun and laughter, stunning sets, amazing costumes and exciting special effects to keep audiences both young and old entertained! It’s the perfect way to experience the traditional magic of Christmas.

Once upon a time a beautiful Princess pricks her finger on a spindle wheel, which has been cursed by the evil Carabosse, on the eve of her 18th Birthday party. Can the Good Fairy’s magical spell break the curse? The Princess can only be awoken by true love’s kiss. Will she find her true love and live happily ever after? Fly to Blackpool’s Grand Theatre and find out how the story ends…

Tickets are already flying out for this fantastic family show! Some performances from Friday 2 December to Sunday 1 January are already offering limited availability…

Rocky Horror Show

A Beautiful New Season

at The Grand

Blackpool Grand Theatre announces a Beautiful new season of spectacular shows!

It’s a Beautiful new season at Blackpool Grand Theatre and it’s jam-packed with dazzling, dynamic and daring new shows. Live entertainment has never looked so good!

Stay right by the seaside and enjoy fabulous, full-scale musicals on the glorious Grand stage including the West End and Broadway big hitters

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

featuring countless King chart toppers in this breathtaking biopic of the legendary Carole King; Richard O’Brien’s raucous Rocky Horror Show bursting at the seams with much-loved naughty numbers; fivetime Tony award-winning theatrical masterpiece Titanic The Musical’s rousing and uplifting tribute to the passengers of the famously ill-fated vessel, and the smash-hit musical sensation Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story making a rocking return to The Grand in 2023. Oh Boy! It’s a real rock’n’roll spectacle! How Not To Drown

Drama fans will love thrilling new production of Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear brings adventure, mystery and, of course, brilliant deductions; the award-winning North West company ThickSkin presents the urgent, uplifting and, frankly, unmissable new drama How Not To Drown, and it’s full steam ahead for a marvellously madcap new telling of Jules Verne’s timeless tale as York Theatre Royal transport us Around The World in 80 Days.

What’s more Beautiful than seeing your loved ones smile with joy? A rib-tickling double act of major comedies will have you all rolling in the aisles this season. Tune into The Goons once again with Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s critically acclaimed and absurdly funny new play SPIKE celebrating the inimitable life and work of comic genius Spike Milligan, and the divinely hilarious Dragatha Christie sensation Death Drop sashays in from the West End with the glamorous killer comedy sequel Back in The Habit ‘nun’ of you were expecting!

And, of course, the Autumn season at The Grand wouldn’t be complete without Blackpool’s number one pantomime! This year’s magical fairytale is packed with fun, laughter and exciting special effects all sprinkled with lots of seasonal sparkle. Sleeping Beauty stars family favourite and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steve Royle and Blackpool’s very own Hayley Tamaddon (Dancing on Ice, Emmerdale). It’s the family Christmas treat you’ve always dreamed of!

Make life a little bit more Beautiful with show tickets to Blackpool Grand Theatre!

Look out for the Beautiful Grand Theatre brochure coming through your letter box soon or pick one up at the Box Office. All shows are also listed on the website. Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story

Blackpool Grand Theatre Chief Executive, Adam Knight, said:

“Nothing beats the excitement of live entertainment and I’m thrilled to share this Beautiful new programme of shows that will exhilarate and delight our audiences. As well as bringing top West End hits, bold new drama and all-star comedy to The Grand stage this season, we’re also very excited to announce the return of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 2023 with a major new production to be announced. There’s also the welcome return of the groundbreaking festival of hip hop dance theatre Breakin’ Convention and National Theatre Connections festival of youth theatre. Watch this space for more to be revealed… We have listened to our patrons who are looking for an all-round and inclusive theatre experience and this season we are launching delicious Afternoon Teas in our stunning Dress Circle bar, offering Pre-Show and At-Seat Ordering to beat the bar queues, showcasing a range of Accessible Performances and introducing a brand-new Volunteers Programme. Blackpool Grand is also very proud to be a Theatre for Everyone, offering More Stories for More People. Through our unique, internationally acclaimed work in Story-Led Resilience™ we’re transforming the lives of thousands of children, young people and families in Blackpool and beyond. Thank you for your continuing support of Blackpool’s Grand Theatre and we look forward to seeing you soon.”

For full show listings and bookings visit

www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

or call the box office on 01253 290190 for bookings and further information.

Race Around The World In 80 Days

in this gloriously funny family show!

Go Around The World In 80 Days with amazing acrobatics and silly circus antics joining the joyous journey at Blackpool Grand Theatre in February 2023.

Oh what a circus! Fly Around The World in 80 Days in a marvellously madcap new telling of Jules Verne’s famous tale at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 4 March 2023. Book your seats in the Big Top now!

Juliet’s Forster’s thrilling adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around The World In 80 Days is Phileas Fogg’s incredible journey across the globe as you’ve never seen it before! It’s a rip-roaring romp for the whole family that’s not to be missed…

A raggle-taggle band of highly skilled travelling circus performers embark on their most daring feat yet as they recreate Fogg’s famous adventures as he sets off on his race Around The World In 80 Days.

But wait? Who is this Nellie Bly biting at his heels? We can’t have an actual real-life woman win this race!

Sit back and enjoy as skilled performers traverse every country, embrace each character and navigate each mode of transport as fact clashes with fiction in this highly entertaining gallop around the globe. It’s an epic family adventure!

We all know the name Phileas Fogg from Jules Verne’s novel Around The World In 80 Days, but what do we really know about the intrepid adventurer and his world-famous journey?

Here’s five fascinating Phileas Fogg facts:

1. Around the World in 80 Days is a novel by French writer Jules Verne that was first published in 1873 and is one of Verne’s most acclaimed works.

2. The lead character Phileas Fogg of London attempts to circumnavigate the world in 80 days with his French valet Passepartout on a £20,000 wager (roughly £2 million today). 4. The route he took was from London to Egypt by rail and steamer across the Mediterranean Sea (7 days), Suez to Bombay by India steamer across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean (13 days), Bombay to Calcutta by India rail (3 days), Calcutta to Hong Kong by steamer across the South China Sea (13 days), Hong Kong to Japan by steamer across the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean (6 days), Japan to San Francisco, USA, by steamer across the Pacific Ocean (22 days), San Francisco to New York City by rail 7 days and New York to London across the Atlantic Ocean and by rail (9 days) = 80 days!

5. Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg never travelled in a balloon! This fictional balloon comes from the Academy Award- winning 1956 film adaptation of the novel starring David Niven and it has been firmly fixed in our collective consciousness since then!

Run right now to follow in Fogg’s famous footsteps and snap up your seats for the circus! Your Around The World In 80 Days adventure awaits!

Around The World in 80 Days is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 4 March 2023. Matinee and early evening performances available. Tickets from £15.50. For ages 7+ Book the very best seats now before it flies into Blackpool Grand!

For full show listings and bookings visit

www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

or call the box office on 01253 290190 for bookings and further information.

JOIN OUR CIRCUS PERFORMERS AS THEY EMBARK ON THEIR MOST DARING FEAT YET!

Dazzling drag show Death Drop is Back In The Habit at Blackpool Grand!

Do you dare miss the killer comedy Death Drop: Back In The Habit at Blackpool Grand Theatre in January 2023…

Condragulations! Death Drop is back and it’s better than ever! Sashay to Blackpool Grand Theatre for the wickedly funny West End comedy Death Drop: Back In The Habit from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 January 2023. It’s the divinely hilarious drag murder mystery that ‘nun’ of you expected… Following three sold-out West End runs, the smash-hit Dragatha Christie sensation Death Drop is back! The delightfully daft drag murder mystery is returning with a brand-new show: Death Drop: Back In The Habit written by Rob Evans and directed once again by Jesse Jones. A gaggle of glamorous nuns are trapped in their convent with a serial slayer slashing their way through the Sisters in this fantastic, all new follow up to the five-star West End phenomenon. As the clues are cleverly unearthed by Sis Marple, you’ll be laughing in the pews as this fabulously fierce, all-drag killer comedy comes to its thrilling conclusion. Creative Director and Producer Christopher D. Clegg said: “We cannot wait to sashay onto the road again with the next chapter in the ridiculous Death Drop saga, this time with a flock of fabulous drag NUNS! Audiences are in for a real treat as this hilarious comedy puts a whole new spin on murder, religion and of course Drag. You will NOT want to miss this outrageous show.” Top TV series such as Ru Paul’s Drag Race have brought the amazing art of drag into the mainstream and with it some of the wonderfully colourful terminology used in drag culture. Some terms already existed in the drag world, while others have originated from the ever-popular reality shows. Here’s our handy drag talk guide to get you ready for your extraordinary night with Death Drop: • BGB/Bye Girl Bye - A term used when one drag queen is annoyed by another • Death Drop - A dance move where a queen dramatically falls back into a stroke pose, usually at the end of lip-syncing to a song • Dragmother - An established drag queen who mentors a new queen (her ‘daughter’) how to get started; many queens use the same last name as their drag mother, creating family lineages, sometimes called houses ie as in hit BBC drama Pose • Eleganza Extravaganza - A showcase of a drag queens finest and most fashionable clothing and wigs • Fierce - Extremely well put together, well-performed, fashionable, beautiful ie “Her make-up looked fierce.” “Her lip sync performance was fierce.” Used positively and high praise in the drag world • Garage Doors - One solid colour of eyeshadow that’s heavily applied over the entire lid and up to the eyebrow • Meryl Streep Realness - Serious acting, instead of going big during a performance, acting more reserved • Shade - an insult or negative comment • Spilling The Tea - Sharing gossip ‘Shante away’ to Blackpool Grand this February! The dazzling Death Drop promises to be an ‘eleganza extravaganza’ of a show that absolutely slays… Book your seats now! Don’t forget! Show tickets to Blackpool Grand Theatre make the perfect Christmas gift! It’s never too early to start shopping! Slip Death Drop tickets into their stocking this festive season Death Drop: Back in the Habit is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 January 2023 at 8pm. Friday & Saturday at 5.30pm and 8.30pm. Tickets from £15.50 with concessions available. Please call the Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.uk for full listings, bookings and further information.

LISTINGS Death Drop: Back in the Habit Tue 3 Jan to Sat 7 Jan 2023 at 8pm Fri & Sat at 5.30pm & 8.30pm Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT N Box Office: 01253 290 190 D blackpoolgrand.co.uk F @blackpoolgrand T @Grand_Theatre I grandtheatrebpl