Theatre

Steve Bennett in Sleeping Beauty in Exeter (interview)

11th December 2008

This season, Steve Bennett is notching up his 13th consecutive year as a pantomime dame at the Northcott Theatre - and looking forward to the fun.

Last year, he trod the festive boards as an anxious father-to-be, with his costume designer wife, Becky Hawkins, soon to give birth to their baby son.

But, despite having theatrical parents, it is unlikely that 10-month-old Harry will be watching The Sleeping Beauty from the wings.

“He is a bit too young. Daddy in all his make-up would frighten him!” laughs Steve, who remembers being frightened himself at a tender age when his father took him to the circus.

“There was a clown who came running out of the ring and sat with the audience – and I screamed the tent down.”

So, would Steve encourage young Harry to go on stage? Not really, it seems, unless his son was particularly determined.

“I want him to get a proper job and look after me in my old age!”

But it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he pursues the lot of an actor’s life if he is fired with the same determination as his dad.

“I came here as a child. I grew up watching plays here,” says Exeter- born Steve.

“After drama school in London my first job was back in the Northcott appearing in Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea.”

It wasn’t easy, and before Steve got to drama college he spent four unhappy years as an electrician.

“When I was a kid I went to the careers teacher and was told that kids in comprehensive schools didn’t become actors.”

Instead, he was handed a leaflet on becoming a plumber.

“Maybe I should have taken their advice!” he laughs.

He doesn’t mean it. Along with memorable Northcott roles, he has worked in TV on such programmes as Casualty, playing Lenny Williams, The Passion, as Geoff, EastEnders, Down to Earth and The Bill. He has also directed – something he particularly loves.

And after 13 years as a dame, Steve is only too aware of the power and importance of panto.

“It’s often the first time that kids get to go to the theatre.

“I think it is amazing in this day and age of Playstations that kids are able to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the magic – which is fantastic.”

He believes we are all quite insular so it is brilliant to experience the collective enjoyment of theatre.

While other performers make the mad dash home, Steve says he is lucky to be able to enjoy a quiet family Christmas Day in his home town.

Ten shows a week can be tiring but as he says: “It isn’t coal mining, and I love it, so I don’t see it as hard work!”

Playing scatty dame Queen Dotty allows Steve the liberty to wander off the script a bit.

“I love it because it’s the closest I’d get to stand-up!”

Two weeks of rehearsal time have involved perfecting a Michael Jackson Thriller routine, a slapstick cake-baking routine and a large comedy music section.

“It takes more rehearsing than a straight play because you have lines, plus the songs and dances.”

An untrained dancer, he says the steps come through “muscle memory”.

“There are dancers and there is me. I’m no Wayne Sleep – I’m a panto dame that moves a little bit!”

The Sleeping Beauty is at the Exeter Northcott from December 10 to January 17.

ROGER MALONE

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