Coronation Street legend pays visit to Bolton with pantomime cast

This year's festive Bolton pantomime is the much-loved story of Cinderella will star Coronation Street’s Vicky Entwistle as Fairy Superior with panto legend Sean 'Rollo' Rollason as Buttons.

Returning for her third year is Bolton-born actress Kelly Aaron as Cinderella who will be joined by Jordan Calloway as Prince Charming, Carl Thornley as Dandini and Lucy Rose Rollason as Fairy Flustered.

UK Panto Award Nominees Garnon Davies and Gareth Mitchell complete the cast as the Ugly sisters.

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Vicky, who played Janice Battersby in the ITV1 soap, said: “It’s quite hard work because you’ve got to stay completely focused because the majority of the audience are children, and they get bored easily, and they let you know when they are, so you have got to be on the ball and focused every minute.

“It’s not an easy ride, because sometimes people think that you can get up and do what you like, but that’s not the case.

“It might be a bit of chaos at the beginning, but it’s organised, and the story has to be told.

“You can bring people from different genres of this business, but you’ve all got to have the same focus, that it’s about the story and the characters.

“And that’s what I like, when everybody pulls together from different corners of the industry for a common good.

“And it’s fun because it’s Christmas, and everything’s happy and jolly.”

The cast say that it is also great for adults in the audience too, and there are times when adults love it more than the children.

Getting into the mindset for the show comes natural to them too, because they are all a “bunch of kids”.

Jordan added: “We just get to play so much, and it’s just so much fun.

“During rehearsals we get to try new things and have a laugh, and when we’re on stage it’s panto, so some things do wrong.

“You have to have a focused mindset, but you can allow it to be a bit silly and be a bit cheeky.

“And characters like the ugly sisters can go off on tangents and try and make people on stage laugh.”

Vicky added: “You want them to engage and boo at the baddies, and laugh at Buttons, and be wooed by the prince, and Cinderella.

“And you want them to take in every aspect of it, and that’s why you work hard because you want them to have as much fun as we’re having.

“The best pantos always cater for both, and there’s lots of jokes going on that the kids don’t get.”

Gareth says that he really likes the school shows because of the magic that they experience from the children’s reactions.

He said: “When you’re looking at the front stage, and you can just see this little face glowing, and they see something that they believe in, you don’t always get that in theatre, so it’s really nice when you do get it.”

Rollo says that it is a very “privileged” job being able to meet the people they do, with Jordan meeting the likes of Melody Thornton from the Pussycat Dolls.

Kelly says that it’s all about the audience, and being a part of everyone’s Christmas.

She recalled a time when she had been made redundant at Christmas and worked behind the bar at the Albert Halls, and she snuck in to watch a show, before getting a call saying a panto was coming up.

She said: “I just remember sometimes when I’m on stage here that there was a time when I was at the back of the theatre and being like I wanna do that, which is why I give it 110 per cent every time.”

Gareth added: “It’s for people who live here to come and see something in their world that is bright and colourful.”

To book tickets now by calling the box office on 0343 208 0500 or visit www.quaytickets.com/boltonalberthalls.

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