Callum Balmforth takes to the Minerva Theatre stage in Chichester this Christmas as Winston the cat in the Hey! Christmas Tree, running from December 7-29, a new festive show aimed at three to seven-year olds.
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00:00Cool.
00:02Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Reports Editor at Sussex Newspaper.
00:06It's really lovely to speak to Callum, who is playing Winston the Cat, no less,
00:10in Hey Christmas Tree in the Minerva Theatre this Christmas.
00:13Now it sounds such a lovely piece, it sounds really beautiful
00:17and it's themes and it's going to be poignant and it's going to be festive.
00:20What makes it an appealing one for you to do?
00:22Why are you pleased to be in this this Christmas?
00:26For me, I'd say it is that gorgeous, magical feeling you get
00:31being with the people you love, that kind of just,
00:35it's that almost intangible, like, comfort and warmth and safety you feel.
00:41Just being able to create that, that kind of sort of very magical essence
00:44you get from that, like that you get from being with the people you love,
00:48finding a place you belong, being able to kind of create that feeling
00:52when you bring it to the stage, just being able to articulate that
00:55through stories, I think is just so gorgeous.
00:58It's what makes it truly special.
00:59It sounds lovely. And you are Winston the Cat now.
01:02You were saying something interesting about how you've approached
01:05embodying this cat. What would you be doing?
01:08So what I'd be doing, he's a funny cat.
01:12He's quite a very human...
01:14Every cat is funny.
01:15Sorry?
01:16Every cat is funny, isn't it?
01:17Every cat is funny. And that's the thing though, that's the funny thing.
01:21I don't know if you have cats, but I've had cats before and they just,
01:24they have so much personality, you know, they're so cheeky.
01:27Winston in particular, he's a very boisterous cat.
01:30He loves to show off, loves to sing, loves to dance
01:33and loves everything to be about him.
01:35So I will be doing lots of strutting around and scowling and smizing
01:41and singing and, and just having a jolly great, great time
01:46is what I'll be doing.
01:48And this, as we were saying, hints at some big, deep, important themes, doesn't it?
01:52But the point is, three to seven, is that a tough audience to,
01:57to work for, do you think, to grab, to retain their attention?
02:04Oh, sorry.
02:05How do you approach that age group?
02:08I think almost like any other,
02:11but then it's just the awareness of the attention span.
02:14Do you have more or have you lost it?
02:16But when it comes to story and nuances, I think it's actually,
02:20we don't appreciate how much they truly do pick up on, you know,
02:25they're kind of just little adults,
02:27but it's just more the thing of attention span, focus,
02:30keeping things very specific.
02:33So we know where the audience is, where they're looking,
02:36if they're distracted, if we've got them, if we've lost them.
02:39So that's, I'd say, where the main kind of difference is.
02:43But aside from that, it's kind of like playing for anyone else, really.
02:46It sounds lovely. And your first time in the Minerva then?
02:49First time in the Minerva, very exciting, very exciting to be here.
02:53What are the first impressions there then?
02:55First, gorgeous space, gorgeous.
02:57I saw a piece in there the other night and it's amazing,
03:02this kind of balance it has between being intimate, but also expansive.
03:06Like it's, I don't quite know how to put it other than that.
03:11And also no bad seats. That's something that's really nice.
03:14No bad seats in that theatre.
03:16Like you're sitting right at the back and still having a great time.
03:19Yeah.
03:20Absolutely brilliant. Well, really lovely to speak to you.
03:23Have a fantastic Christmas in the Minerva. Thank you for your time.
03:26Thank you very much. Have a very Merry Christmas, Phil.
03:29Awesome. Take care.