"The theatre has got its own personality" - Five pantos at the Kings – and now a switch to the Theatre Royal for Julia
After the last five pantos on the trot at Portsmouth’s Kings Theatre, Julia Worsley is delighted to take to the stage in panto at the city’s Theatre Royal instead this year – all part of the merger between the venues.
Snow White is at the venue from Friday, December 12 to Sunday January 4.
“We wanted there to be some level of continuity,” Julia explains, “and we were wanting to be establishing that we were now the same company. The Kings has self-produced its panto for a number of years but now essentially Portsmouth Theatres are self-producing the two shows, and we wanted there to be some level of recognition that there was a link. I am the link!
“Over the last couple of years I have worked as assistant director on some of the in-house productions at The Kings and I have some understanding of the production values that we have and what the ethos is behind our self-produced shows. I assistant-directed at The Kings last year, and Jack (Edwards, The Kings’ dame and also artistic director) wanted that same level at the Theatre Royal. It is about our production values. We are very much about promoting local talent.
“We know that pantomime is many layered and that there are layers for the adults and that there are layers that are very much for the children, and it is important that we respect that.
“There was a lot of curiosity about what was going to happen at the Theatre Royal now and we wanted to show that there would be a continuity in terms of the standard.
“Also because I do all the PR for The Kings’ Theatre, people know me. I'm linked to The Kings’ Theatre and I've got a profile in the city. So me going to the Theatre Royal was a good way of letting everybody know that we are now Portsmouth Theatres across the two venues.
“I've never done anything at the Theatre Royal before. It is a new space for me and it's a smaller space which is exciting but also terrifying. You literally see the whites of people’s eyes. But I always say that the magic happens outside your comfort zone.
“I've done five pantos at The Kings and I know it inside out. The Kings is my safety net and Jack Edwards is my safety net. I feel very safe there and I feel supported. But now Jack is like a little mother hen sending his chick out into the world. It is really nice that they feel that they have the trust in me to spearhead things at the Theatre Royal.
“We have self-produced since 2020 at The Kings and we have learned so many things along the way. People just think that every show is the same but you are learning things all the time so it's nice to have the experience and to know that the Theatre Royal is not just starting from scratch, but it is also great that the technical team at the Theatre Royal are just gorgeous.”
It is important also to establish that while the production values remain constant the fact is these will be two very different pantos: “It would be foolish to try to replicate what we do at The Kings. It's a bigger house. The Kings is 1,400-plus. The Theatre Royal is 500 seats. It's very intimate.
“You have to nuance it more and you really do have to make it about the space. The theatre has got its own personality just as The Kings has got its own personality. It sits in a very different part of the city with a very different demographic and you really do have to respect those different personalities.”
For tickets and more details visit the venue’s website at www.newtheatreroyal.com