Julia Worsley is looking forward to her fourth pantomine at the Kings in Southsea, but importantly one in which she will be breaking new ground professionally...
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00:00 I can see that you do very well.
00:02 Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Art Editor at Sussex Newspapers.
00:06 Lovely to be speaking to Julia, who is going to be in this year's Panto at the King's Theatre in Southsea,
00:13 Hook, The Further Adventures of Peter Pan.
00:15 But Julia, not only will you be on stage, you are breaking out into working behind the scenes.
00:22 I know, I know. I'm actually so excited.
00:26 I've been very fortunate to be asked to Assistant Director this year.
00:30 It's long been a desire of mine to do a little bit of the other side.
00:37 Why is it something you wanted to do?
00:39 Because I find it really fascinating.
00:41 Whenever we do shows or whenever I'm in a show, I really like sitting in the auditorium when I'm not needed on stage
00:47 and just seeing what happens because so much goes on.
00:50 It's so technical. And I'm really fascinated by all of that.
00:55 So I've always wanted to do it.
00:57 I've always been a little bit nervous because I think, you know, everybody wants to be a director.
01:01 But they came to me this year and said, look, would you like to have a go at doing Assistant Director?
01:06 I didn't even think about it. I just said yes, absolutely. Please. Yes, I'm happy to do that.
01:11 You've never done it before?
01:13 No, I've never done it before, ever. I've not even, I don't think I've even sat in on an audition.
01:19 Oh, I have sat in on auditions. That's not strictly true.
01:22 But yeah, this is, I'm an absolute novice. So it's a massive learning curve for me.
01:27 It's going to be properly learning on the job then.
01:29 It really is. And it does not get more technical and more crazy than the two week rehearsal of Pantomime.
01:37 There is so much, so much. So it's a baptism of fire.
01:41 I think you'll find the term is definite baptism of fire.
01:44 Goodness, well good luck with that. So you'll be slightly less on stage then?
01:49 I will this year. Yeah, I mean, I still have two lovely parts.
01:53 I get to sing two really nice little songs. So I'm still able to flex my acting and singing muscles,
01:59 which I'm very happy about. And I'm doing a little bit of comedy this year, which I do like.
02:04 I think the baddies, one of the funniest people in the Pantomime.
02:07 But this year I'm a funny mermaid. And I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a girl.
02:13 But I'm playing one of the mermaids and she is very funny.
02:17 And so at least I get the comedy still. Yeah.
02:20 Well, you look fantastic and everyone is looking fantastic. Clearly the costumes are going to be great.
02:25 But then that's always part of the cost of the Panto, the Kings, isn't it?
02:29 It absolutely is. It's funny because we've had because we've got a big launch day today.
02:34 We've got our wardrobe department here and then taking measurements and then talking about this, talking about that.
02:39 I get so excited by it because the costumes are always really extravagant and they're just amazing.
02:45 You know, I've done Les Mis and you're literally in rags with mud on your face.
02:48 So this is our magazine. And in Panto, those costumes give you licence to go over the top, don't they?
02:56 They absolutely do. I mean, last year I did the Wicked Stepsister and their costumes were off the scale hilarious.
03:03 And you do, you, it gives you a real confidence on stage when you get a great costume.
03:08 It's half the job's done for you. The costume is as much the part of the actor as the lines and the direction and the singing and all of that.
03:17 Costumes, excellent.
03:19 Fantastic. Well, as ever, really looking forward to seeing the Kings Panto this year.
03:23 Lovely to speak to you again, Julie.
03:24 Thank you so much, Phil.
03:26 Good luck with that behind the scenes debut.
03:29 Thank you very much. Thank you.