Dec 21 2004
icBirmingham
Sid Langley goes behind the scenes before the opening night of
Joe Pasquale's Birmingham panto
Joe Pasquale is having trouble with his drum. Nothing to compare with that hanging from a helicopter stunt, of course. And Letitia Dean has to get a few pointers from director Paul Elliott about flag waving.
The cast of what looks like being Birmingham's biggest (in every sense) pantomime is battling with what is known in the trade as the technical rehearsal on the vast expanse of the Hippodrome stage. The lighting cues, entrances, exits, music, the things that audiences take for granted and which are much harder to sort out than learning lines, songs and dances.
"This is a very technical show," says Paul. "So much to go wrong. So for every set-up there has to be a Plan B in case it doesn't work."
So I ask in all innocence, what's Plan B if the beanstalk doesn't work?
"I shoot myself." In case you hadn't heard, the greenery that springs from the magic beans is the biggest stalk in the business. And the giant, voiced by Paul Elliott himself, is another Guinness Book of Records job. The giant has his own Plan B. And C. Perhaps even D.
"There's electronics rather like a lighting rig inside," explains Paul. "I sent the cast home last night and had an hour and a half working on it."
In case you didn't know, Jack and the Beanstalk opens tonight and the only way you'll get a ticket is if you mug someone.
An agent rings Paul on his mobile to congratulate him on another of his shows.
"I'm getting too old for this," he says to the caller. When he hangs up I tell him he needs a break. "Got to keep going now," he says. "Once I stop I'll never get started again."
He admits he ' s not displeased with the way things are shaping up and he's pretty much hitting his personal schedule for the show.
"It's just a good job the public don't see any of this," he says, waving to the stage where the lights are flashing from purple to green, Daisy the cow's two halves are talking to dame Don Maclean and the King, Charlie Caroli, is waving to the youngsters from Birmingham Stage School sitting in the stalls waiting to be called to do their bits. There are two sets of children who rotate their parts in the show.
The drum-beating finale looks pretty impressive, even in yesterday afternoon's raw state, and the costumes really are quite eye-popping - remarkably low-key and tasteful for a romp of a panto.
I can't give away any secrets, of course, but there are one or two references to a certain television programme, and the director demotes the stars and stripes in the flag-waving sequence. "Not very PC for Birmingham," he says replaces it with the flag of India.
Everything is run through - the drawing of a raffle for a free holiday, bringing kids from the audience up on stage for one of Joe Pasquale's trademark routines - the song that gets on your nerves (and it sure does).
But Joe pulls no punches. He does it for real when he could be backpedalling, taking it easier. He reduces the kids to hysteria while messing about with one of their names.
I tell him I really enjoyed it. With that deadpan look we've come to know so well from the jungle he says,"You don't get out much, do you?"
