"My waters broke and I went into labour because the Kings Theatre adult pantomime was so funny"
Lying in a hospital bed in the midst of labour, Abbie Foord’s phone buzzed with a video of the Aladdin pantomime cast congratulating her on stage for her impending birth.
It was the end of a surreal night for the 24-year-old from Hilsea, Portsmouth, which started with her settling in for an evening of laughter at the Kings Theatre in Southsea on December 29.
Despite being heavily pregnant with her first child due in two days time, she was not too concerned, especially as she had no inkling that it was on its way. However, having already ticked off some of the old wives' tales of how to induce birth, such as eating spicy food, she stumbled upon more effective way to get the baby moving...a good belly laugh at the theatre’s first ever adult version of the pantomime.
Abbie said: “I had to leave at the start of the interval as my water broke. Nothing was happening, I had no inklings before or anything, literally nothing. I went to the toilet and then came back to my seat and a minute later I thought ‘this isn't good’ - the seat is very wet.
“We had pretty much tried everything and nothing was happening. We had given up trying all the spicy food and all the random stuff they suggest but yeah I think an adult panto is definitely what does it! We had been to the normal one when I was 37 weeks and nothing happened so I think it is definitely an adult panto that does it.”
While many people would have been panicked at the situation, Abbie did have one advantage. She works in patient flow and admin at Queen Alexandra Hospital and her mum and the colleagues she was at the theatre with are all senior nurses.
Despite that, Abbie said none of them “were overly keen on delivering a baby at the Kings” so the decision to leave was made.
She said: “I wasn't actually too panicked, it helped that my mum was there, a lot of nurses and a group of people who can help, so it was not too bad. We did decide to head off just in case and it was a good thing we did as within a few hours we were in the labour room.”
In the early hours of the morning of December 30, Abbie and her partner Billy welcomed baby Jack Threapleton to the world. The couple had already had the name Jack lined up in honour of Billy’s grandfather - but it was also a fitting nod to the unique moment with Portsmouth panto legend Jack Edwards delivering the laughs for Abbie as the dame.
Jack has drawn many a laugh in his role as the dame throughout the years but this may be the first time he has caused someone’s water to break.
Abbie heralded Jack as “honestly so funny” and unexpectedly received a message from him the next day.
She said: “One of the people I went with knows Jack - they (panto performers) did a shout out at the end of the show when they usually call out birthdays and bits. When I was in labour I got sent a video of them onstage saying ‘congrats to Abbie whose water broke during this show’.
“Jack then sent us a video the next day saying it would be lovely to meet us, it was very cute.”
With both mum and baby happy and healthy, the first time Abbie, Billy and Jack ventured out of the house as a new family was for a return to the Kings Theatre on Monday, January 12. It was a chance to reminisce over the unusual circumstances that started the birth process and allow baby Jack to meet his namesake, the man whose hilarious act started his welcome to the world.
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On meeting him, the legendary panto dame suggested that the show’s version of the song ‘I’m Coming Out’, which was sung by Rusty Lee, may have given baby Jack the final incentive to make an appearance. He also joked that ‘he looks like me which is lovely and I’m really proud of that’ adding cheekily that he was waiting for confirmation as to who is the father.
“It is an absolute honour to meet baby Jack, and I can't tell you how brilliant it is that it happened here at the Kings Theatre at our mucky panto,” he said.
“We do have plans for another mucky panto coming this year for Jack and the Beanstalk. This is absolutely going to be on a prescription now. If you having having a baby, go to the NHS and we are going to prescribe you tickets to the mucky panto to have your baby.”
To hear more - watch the video embedded in this story
As reviews go for the panto, Abbie said it being so funny it made her water break was the “perfect review”.