Panto Legend Steve Walls

Another panto icon and absolute legend is the one and only Steve Walls, who is always a pleasure to catch up and chat with.

Hi Steve, can you believe it’s been a year since we last did this, with Linda? Unbelievable, isn’t it? How quick it goes, it’s weird. I don’t know if you find that after a panto, the first couple of months kind of drag and you get fed up and then all of a sudden, bam, soon as the castings are launched, it just comes around so quick.

It’s definitely come around quick mind. So are we looking forward to this one? Very, very much so. I can honestly say, though people probably say it every year when they do press launches, but I think this one’s got me more excited than any other one that I’ve ever done. Right. And the reason, well, a number of reasons. Gary’s investing very, very heavily in the Show again this year, so it’s going to be spectacular. All brand new costumes. I’m getting to work with my mate Chico. So it was me who actually recommended him, I’ve known Chico for 10-11 years now. Yeah. So we’ve done a lot of events together, award ceremonies etc. And when I knew he was looking for a headliner, and someone to play my brother, I went ahhhh, I know just the man!

I tell you what, it’s funny because he cannot speak highly enough about you either, he was just saying the same thing to me earlier. Oh, that’s nice. It’s good. He’s a great great guy.In fact, I think it was just before COVID, the panto before COVID. And he was doing Crew with Cannon & Ball. And, and we went up, I finished my panto and went to watch him for his last show. And ironically, it was Bobby balls last ever panto. Oh, God rest his soul. The last ever show that he did.

I know. They were meant to be coming here. I was really looking forward to that. That’s right. Yeah. Legend. Such a shame.

Well, we all grew up with them. That’s the thing, isn’t it? You know, I don’t know if you’ve heard the song Together We’ll be okay. And whenever I hear that, now, you know, the Cannon & Ball theme tune, I get a little lump in my throat. It’s sad.

Well it is definitely looking like it’s gonna be a good show for you. A good strong cast as well. Very,very much. So. I mean, obviously, we’ve got Dan back again, as Patsy? You know, it’s great as me and him bounce off each other so well. Again, because I’ve worked with Chico that much, we just laugh all the time together. So we’re gonna have fun. I’m looking forward to working with Andrew, who’s Abanazar, he’s brilliant. Sometimes you just get a feeling from someone who, you know is going to be good. Gary’s seen him work a few times in different panto’s, which is why he’s been trying to get him for a few years, but you just get a feeling. You know, someone’s going to be really good. Lucy Kinsella, who’s playing the spirit? I’ve seen her grow up along with Joanne. Because my missus is who taught her, my missus is the choreographer, Joanne’s here. And so I’ve seen Lucy develop as a performer and she went off to do Bird and performing arts. It’s brilliant having her in as well. Isabel, I’m looking forward to working with, I’ve heard she’s a phenomenal singer, a great West End singer. So all in all, it’s just gonna be a really strong cast. formance? In terms of the panto? Do you know, I was just saying this to a guy just before he said,” do you still get a buzz out of doing it?” I’m very, very fortunate. I get to work with some people who are

fairly well known. I worked with Beverly Knight last Saturday and done gigs with Paul Carrack recently. And, you know, people like that and I still do tours with Jane McDonald from time to time. So I’m very lucky to work with people like that. But there’s nothing like a panto or anything like it. Even if I go to watch a show, another panto, even the buzz of just sitting there and the lights go down, there’s just a magic about it, probably because it’s Christmas as well, that helps. But I just think there’s a magic of pantoland that you don’t get any other time of the year.

You’ve almost mirrored what Chico said, actually. Oh really? And we haven’t even conferred on that And the thing is, even Linda was saying that last year and that yeah, Panto just is magic Well, I get the chance to do lots of corporate work over Christmas as a comedian, as a presenter. And I always still choose to do panto and I’ll probably take a little bit less money doing it, you know, but I’m happy to do that, because I just love it. Sometimes if we do a three show day, and I do photographs, as you know, on the foyer, so it can be a little bit tiring, but it’s a labour of love. I absolutely love it. And the lovely thing for me is now, I was on a ship. I think we were in Italy, it might have been Sorrento or something. And a woman came and she went, can I just say, my daughter has grown up with you. I said what do you mean? And she went through the photographs from nine years ago, eight years ago, and this girl was getting bigger and bigger. And now she’s going to be bringing her little tots for this year. So it’s lovely that.

So you mentioned that you have worked with a lot of famous people. Was there anyone that you you’d like to work with that you haven’t had a chance to yet? Work wise. Funnily enough, not that I haven’t worked with but there is someone that I wish he was still around because it’s a bit

sad as John Challis because I did panto with John and Sunderland in 2010. He played Captain Hook and I played Smee and we got on so well we became really good mates. And I tried for the last two or three years of his life to get John to come and do a panto here. Yeah. But cudos always stepped in and snapped him up you know, before I had the chance to so I’d love to, I’d love to have worked with John a second time in my home theatre, now that would have been lovely. Again other people who I’d like to have worked with is a comedy hero of mine like Norman Wisdom, But if I did work with Norman Wisdom, I’d have been out of a job because he’d have been doing what I do, though he would have been great.

Obviously you’re from the North East, but what’s your favourite place in the North East? That’s the personal side of things, nothing to do with work or panto, this is just what for you is the North East? There’s a couple of things really. I’m a Wallsend lad, Battle Hill born and bred. And so obviously, I’ve got a fondness for Wallsend but I absolutely love this coast. It’s weird. There’s two places I go, and I just absolutely feel so at home and relaxed. It’s when I come up to do the press launch for the panto or when I come to do the photographs. And I drive along the sea front and if I haven’t been home for two or three months, because I live in Liverpool most of the time. And as soon as I started driving from Tynemouth or I’m on my bike going from Cullercoats along to Whitley Bay. I just absolutely love this part of the coast. It’s gorgeous. And the other one, and it

still happened yesterday. It happens every single time is when I’m going over the bridge on the train. And I’ll see the other bridges on the river Tyne, I just feel proud. As soon as you go over that bridge, and you come in the central station, it’s just like, wow, even the central station itself. I love it. I just love it. I feel at home as soon as I arrive. And also if I’m driving up when I pass the Angel, same thing, I see the Angel and you go “Yeah, I’m home!” There’s no better feeling.

Here’s a total change of subject now, tell us three random facts about yourself that people might not know. Oooooh, three random facts? I once appeared in a newspaper but for saving Miss Great Britain from a car that had exploded dressed as Captain crocodile. So yeah, it was a Pontins Bluecoat and we went to the Leyland festival. And I was I was actually in this vintage car and we were going through this parade and for some reason the radiator exploded, but it exploded the wrong way. And it started squirting the chauffer with like scolding water. And I see what was happening. I was dressed as a crock. And I lifted Miss Great Britain up and I chucked her over the side. And she didn’t know what was going on. Because she asked me that, she just looked at me as if to say what the hell are you doing. But yeah, and it says Captain Croc Saves The Day! So that was the first one. Second one. I once got a commendation of Northumbria Police many, many years ago, not a particularly happy story, well, I guess it was a happy story in the end because it was a guy threatening to chuck themselves off the high level bridge. And I stood with another guy and we talked him out of it until people got there. So I got a commendation from them, which is quite nice. Another random fact, one of the nicest things I think happened to me, I don’t know if it’s a random fact, I hosted the Christmas lights switch on with Bobby Robson in 2014 I think it was, and he is such a lovely, lovely guy. Anyway, it went really well. And at the Civic reception afterwards, I was on stage and then Bobby Robson was being ushered in. And he turned to a fellow who’s stood next to him and he says “That lads great, he’s just given me a lovely interview”, he says “he’s a born performer. What a lovely lad, he’s got a lovely way about him, he’s got a lovely manner”… He was talking to me Dad! My dad was absolutely over the moon. And when he told me I was like, wow, and without any problem. He just didn’t even know that was my dad. Maybe if he had of known it was me Dad, you might think he’s only saying that. But he just turned to a bloke who was just stood there, you know, and I thought I was quite nice. So I don’t know if that’s a random factor. It’s a proud fact

One final question, if you could work with anyone who would it be and why? Well, I tell you, the one person I would love to work with is David Jason. The first person I ever saw in panto was David Jason. And that was 1979. He was in Cinderella with Leon Bell. Right. And

that absolutely blew me away. That’s how I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, I just remember going, wow. That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. And so if I could I would love to work with David Jason, that would be a bit special. I’d love to just shake his hand and say, I got into show business because of you, because of watching you. You changed my life. You know, I just want to tell him that it’s bizarre. And we’ve had a lot of sort of crossovers, bizarrely, obviously John Challis, and I wrote quite a bit of a script for the Boycie and Marlene tour for John and Sue, which was quite nice. And then I did panto with John Challis ironically, how ironic is this? And the lad called James Baxter from Sunderland. And he then went on to do Still Open All Hours where he played the young David Jason part with David Jason. Yeah, which is, which is odd. So there’s been kind of, I’ve always had tenuous links to Only Fools and Horses. But I’d love to just shake his hand.

So if anyone reading this that can make Steve’s Dream come true, if anyone can help him to meet David Jason then please get in touch, let’s see if we can make this happen, after all, he is always going out of his way for others.