With the bitter cold now gripping Scotland, Dominic Corr chats with writer, director, and Sammy Slush performer Jerry Taylor. Presented by Ginger and Jester Productions, Baltic at Cumbernauld Theatre follows brave young Elsbeth on a daring quest to rescue her brother Kai from the wicked Snow Queen Chillblane and her frosty sidekick Jack Frost. With the help of her cheeky pal Sammy the Slush, snow-stopping mammy Dame Agnes Avalunch, and a carrot-less talking snowman named Nolaff, she battles trolls, a towering Yeti, and swirling snowstorms while discovering her own magical powers.
Would you mind giving us a flavour of what audiences can expect from this Production? Are we looking at some traditional pantomime charm, or a few surprises?
Our audience can expect a traditional Scottish pantomime with plenty of audience participation, hilarious comedy routines and familiar songs that will have you smiling and dancing to all the way home. I feel the audience should feel like they were a part of the show and should be as shattered as the cast when the curtain comes down. We have hilarity, moments that will warm the soul and a few magical surprises along the way.
What’s it like working on a pantomime, and how does it differ from a production you might be involved with throughout the regular season/year?
It has been an absolute blast working on the show. The cast are sensational and the crew are world class which makes our job so much easier. I have laughed more in the last two weeks than I have all year.
If you can, what is it about Scottish audiences which seems to resonate with the performance form in such a long-lasting and magical way?
Pantomime resonates with a Scot’s audience because they are susceptible the daft humour and absurdity. We love to use humour to mask any bad times way may be having but most of all us Scots just love to have a good time.
What’s the one role in the show you would swap with? Or is there a dream pantomime role you haven’t managed to play yet that you’d trade your last sweeties to get a shot at?
My dream role is to play Captain Hook one day. I love playing the comic but if I ever accept a villain role then it would be the Captain.
As shocking as it may seem to some, there are still plenty of audiences out there who have never seen a pantomime: would you mind giving a brief snippet into what they might expect, the dos and don’ts and what madness might lie in store for them?
If you have never seen a pantomime, then expect chaos, expect magic, expect dazzling dance numbers and fantastic costumes. But most of all, expect the unexpected!
And finally: Dames or Baddies? Who *really* has the biggest diva moments?
The Dame and the Villain both battle it out for top Diva status but I must say our Dame wins with experience. In truth the biggest Diva is the guy typing these words…but we’ll no talk aboot it!
Baltic runs at Cumbernauld Theatre until December 24th
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