Theatre South East

Theatre South East was at the Fairfield Halls, when they held their exciting Panto launch.. Stephen Mulhern who will play Buttons in this year’s panto answered questions about what it is like being back in Croydon and why he likes playing Buttons so much.

Stephen Mulhern

 

You played Buttons at Fairfield Halls ten years, ago, what is it like being back?

I actually love Croydon, and it is a real shame that I have not been back sooner. I have been doing pantos for the last twelve years and I love Croydon, the venue is amazing but I am also very excited because I love Cinderella, I think is the best pantomime ever. My top three pantos are 1. Cinderella 2. Aladdin and 3. Sleeping Beauty.

It is amazing to be back and bizarrely I have met people today who were here ten years ago that I still remember which is even nicer.

You have a successful career and have a lot of experience on live TV where you think on the spot and don’t necessarily follow a script, how much of that quality do you bring to panto?

With pantomime you never know what is going to happen and that is the bonus. You never know what the audience is going to say or indeed shout out! You have to even be aware of the cast, if they have the confidence they may change things around. I always like to have a bit of a laugh and sometimes I change stuff without them knowing just to keep the spark.

However the tables were turned last year though at the Hawth in Crawley with Ant and Dec when they pranked me on their Takeaway Show! Yes, they got me hook, line and sinker. I would like to pretend that I knew they were doing it, but I had no idea, not a clue. Honestly, swear to God, I would love to say ‘Yeah, I had a little inkling’. The cameras even went into my dressing room would you believe! Everyone knew except me. Even the audience were in on it.
The trouble is that Ant and Dec know me inside out, they know that I always check the props before I go on. I checked all the props and all my illusions, I really did check everything. They have shown me footage since, they waited until two minutes before curtain up and Bang! they changed everything and mixed everything up.

They knew that it was game over.

How will that affect your performance this year?

There was a routine where they mixed up lots of records that should have been in a strict order. This year we have a similar routine using board games but it means that every time I do it this year I shall worry. This year Ant and Dec are not invited to Croydon! Holly Willoughby and Emma Willis are invited but definitely not Ant and Dec 😀

Would you ever like to turn the tables on them?

It will happen, believe me!

You have played the part of Buttons a few times, do you always use the same script so that you don’t have to learn the lines?

Each year it is slightly different. This year I want to do a new illusion that I haven’t done before (I just need to get it approved by the producer) involving Cinderella looking for me and I magically appear when the audience are not expecting it.

I like to bring something of myself to the show so this year there will be a lot of magic. That is what people expect from me, I think that is really important.

I also have a very big surprise for the audience at the beginning. My advice is NOT to sit near the front, book tickets in the rear stalls or circle.

Is Buttons your favourite role?

If I could play Buttons every year I would. It just works for me, I get to do magic and illusions. Buttons is funny but also can make the audience sad. There is one point in the pantomime where Buttons confesses that he loves Cinderella, but she tells him she loves him only as a best friend, when she explains this, it is genuinely very sad. But above all, all Buttons wants to do is make Cinderella happy and at the end of the show he tells Cinderella that he will be happy for her to marry the Prince.

What was your first pantomime as a child?

I went to the Theatre Royal Stratford East to see Matthew Kelly in Mother Goose. Matthew Kelly was at the time in ‘Stars in their Eyes’.

Does your affinity with Buttons come from your early starting days working as a red coat at Butlins?

Absolutely, I loved doing it and I have mates still at Butlins, as comperes, and one as an events manager. Being a Redcoat means you have to be out there and get involved in everything. It is where you learn and build your act and realise what the audience like and don’t. You cannot disgard those years of experience where you learn how to perform and think on your feet.

How does your Christmas fit round the pantomime given that you do it every year?

I spend Christmas Eve at home and then always spend Christmas Day at my parents together with my two brothers and my sister. I shall stay here on the party night. I haven’t been to a panto-party for quite some time but I shall this year now that I am back in Croydon. Haha! I may even host it.

You are extremely popular with the general public and in high demand, the producer Paul Hendy says that your star has risen and risen. What is on the cards after you finish Cinderella?

I have signed for the next series of Britain’s got more Talent which starts in Edinburgh 4 days after the panto finishes in January. It is the same judging panel, Simon, Amanda, David and Alesha so it is a good team.

Is Britain’s got more talent completely adlibbed?

Yes there is no script, we don’t even know when they are going to arrive but I love that.

Even on Big Star Little Star the children are unpredictable and don’t have any idea what is going on which is lovely.
The spontaneity is very similar to pantomime when you are never quite sure what is going to happen. I love it when we get the kids up on the stage at the end of the panto, it is so unpredictable.

You have such an established TV career, is there any other role on stage that you would like to do?

I would LOVE to play Barnum. I went to see my good friend Brian Conley recently doing it and it was fantastic. Again it is everything, it is the whole package. It is an emotional roller-coaster. I would love to walk the high-wire and do the magic tricks.

For me Brian is the BEST pantomime performer in the country, I think he is brilliant, he is amazing and a fellow Buttons. He is also a great friend, he even gave me a routine that I was able to use in the Royal Variety show in front of Kate and William. It was a routine I really liked and I phoned him and asked him whether I could use it and was delighted when he said yes!

We look forward to Cinderella and please don’t make it another 10 years!

I hope it’s not – if it is Aladdin next year I may just come back.

Stephen Mulhern is starring in Cinderella at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon from 4th December – 3rd January.