We chatted to Lesley about starring as Wicked Queen Dragonella in the New Victoria Theatre Woking’s pantomine Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
What do you love about doing pantomimes? I love doing pantomime because it embodies everything I adore about live theatre. You’ve got wonderful costumes, fantastic sets, great music, fabulous dancers, and brilliant choreography – but most importantly, you’re telling a story. You can make people laugh one moment and then pull the reins in and make them gasp or even feel frightened the next.
For me, it’s all about breaking that fourth wall. You can really work with the audience – react to them, play off them, and take them on the journey with you. You do that a little bit in any play, but in pantomime, it’s an art form. I just love it.
You’re playing the Wicked Queen Dragonella this year. What do you enjoy most about being a baddie? Because you can really work with the audience! You can be bad, you can be funny, or you can be downright nasty – you drive the show. You set the tone for the story and you get to play with the audience’s reactions, which is such fun.
You have to listen to how the audience responds – whether they’re with you and enjoying the moment, or if you need to drive the show on a bit more. That connection is what makes pantomime so special.
What are you most looking forward to about bringing Snow White to Woking audiences? Working with Rob Rinder again! This will be our fourth time together, and I absolutely love working with him. In fact, everyone in the show this year is someone I’ve worked with before – we’ve got a wonderful choreographer, fantastic dancers, and a really lovely company.
Briana Craig and Scott Maurice, who play Snow White and the Prince, are fabulous, and Aaron James, who’s joining us again, is brilliant too. Our director Andrew Ryan is wonderful – he’s also the Dame at the Birmingham Hippodrome each year, so he really knows his stuff. It’s like a big family reunion, and everyone knows exactly how to make a great pantomime.
What was your first pantomime experience like? The first pantomime I ever saw was at the Royal Theatre in Northampton with Lionel Hamilton, though I can’t remember which one it was!
The first pantomime I performed in was Babes in the Wood with Terry Molloy, who was in The Archers. I think that was in Birmingham. Later, after Birds of a Feather, my first panto was Cinderella at Richmond Theatre, where I played the Fairy Godmother.
Then we did a huge pantomime at the Birmingham Hippodrome – the like of which I’ve never done since! It was wonderful, with big sets and a huge cast. Back then, we still had girls playing the Principal Boy, which I loved. We even went on to Southampton with that show, and I think we still hold the record for most bums on seats!
What do you enjoy most about the festive period? I think it’s because you’re allowed to have a good time! It’s in the middle of winter, and growing up, we always celebrated Christmas. We used to have a Christmas tree that came in from the garden every year, and after Christmas we’d plant it back outside – it got bigger and bigger each time!
Now, of course, most people have artificial trees, but I still love the season. Christmas Day is a time when you can say, “I don’t have to work today,” and spend it with family and loved ones. And of course, it’s pantomime season – which I adore. I’ve been doing them for so long, and I’d stop if I didn’t still love it.
In your experience, what makes a successful pantomime? It’s all about the attitude and commitment of everyone involved. A pantomime doesn’t have to be the biggest or funniest production – what matters is what the company gives to the audience.
Whether it’s a huge Palladium panto with spectacular sets and costumes or a smaller community show, the key is that everyone on stage is having a good time and putting their heart and soul into it. That energy is infectious, and the audience feels it.
How do you balance staying true to pantomime tradition while keeping it fresh for modern audiences? A lot of it comes down to the script. There are things you simply wouldn’t say now – rightly so – and it’s important to adapt and stay relevant.
I don’t tend to do pantos that rely on lots of topical news jokes, but if something major happens that you can make a quick, funny reference to, you might include it for a day or two. The pantos I do with Rob tend to be more traditional, but always in a way that feels right for today’s audiences.
Are there any other pantomime characters you’d love to play? Yes! I’ve never done Aladdin, and I’d love to play the Genie of the Ring – that would be such fun. I’ve also never done Mother Goose, though I’m not sure I’d want to play her!
Some theatres, like those in Newcastle, do more unusual titles like The Little Mermaid, and you can make a pantomime out of almost anything. There’s something quite pantomimic about Disney stories too. But yes, if I could choose one, it would be Aladdin – definitely the Genie of the Ring.
Do you have a favourite panto moment? Yes – during my first pantomime at Richmond, I was playing the Fairy Godmother. I came into the kitchen scene and said, “Cinderella, you shall go to the ball!” I threw off my cloak – and accidentally threw my wig with it!
The audience laughed for about five minutes. I stayed in character and said, “Please, this is really serious – this is going to change Cinderella’s life!”
Then, when the ponies came on (as they did back in those days), they lifted their tails and pooed all over the stage! I remember someone overheard an audience member turn to their friend and say, “Oh, she’ll do anything for a laugh!”
By Emma Clarendon
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will play at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from the 5th December until the 4th January 2026.