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The team at Greenwich Theatre talk about Dick Whittington and His Cat
With panto season upon us, we sat down with the masterminds behind Dick Whittington and His Cat at Greenwich Theatre – where gangsters aren’t just on the streets, spotted dick isn’t just for dessert, and Cher may (or may not) be making a surprise appearance!
Writer and star Anthony Spargo, lead Samuel Bailey, and director James Haddrell gave us the lowdown on what makes this year’s show a rollicking twist on tradition. Prepare for some ET exclusives too.
Hello everyone, I said HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to ET. Let’s do some introductions shall we?
Anthony Spargo: I’m the writer of the panto, and I’ll be performing the role of Ratticous, a mod gangster rat.
Samuel Bailey: Hello, I’m Samuel Bailey. I will be performing the role of Dick Whittington.
James Haddrell: And I’m James Haddrell, the pantomime director and Artistic Director of Greenwich Theatre.
Anthony, how long have you been working on this script?
Anthony: I usually start plotting and planning scenes and set pieces as soon as we announce the following year’s show. So while we were performing Snow White last year, I was coming up with little ideas here and there. I usually start scripting in February or March.
Is the script how you originally envisioned it, or has it changed drastically since you first put pen to paper?
Anthony: I tend to work quite meticulously on the plot before I start scripting any dialogue. Once I’m satisfied with the plot, then you can get to work. If the plot’s in place and it all works, then—fingers crossed—nothing should have to change dramatically as the writing process develops. There are always a few rewrites, but that tends to be honing the dialogue rather than any dramatic changes.
If you had to describe your show as a meal, what would it be, and why?
Anthony: Spotted Dick with lashings of cream!
If you could have any special guest (living or dead) attend your show, who would it be and why?
Anthony: I would say Sir Ian McKellen… but he’s already attended a Greenwich Panto a few years ago! It was exciting to know he was in the audience. So I’ll go left-field and say Rik Mayall—I think he’d appreciate the fart gags.
Photo Credit @ Nancy Poole
Samuel, what is it about your character that you most enjoy?
Samuel: I love that Dick Whittington is so energetic and carefree. It’s nice to be playing such a positive character.
If you had to describe your show as a meal, what would it be, and why?
Samuel: I’d describe our show as a big British hearty roast dinner. Lots of different elements to it!
If you could have any special guest (living or dead) attend your show, who would it be and why?
Samuel: I mean, if we could get Cher to come along, that would be pretty iconic!
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career?
Samuel: I’d say the most valuable piece of advice I was given during my career was “trust in the process of it all” and accept that everyone’s journey is going to be different—timing is everything.
Photo Credit @ Nancy Poole
James, what was it that attracted you to direct this project?
James: The Greenwich Theatre pantomime has been a staple in our annual program for almost twenty years, but this will only be my second year directing the show. Apart from honoring a major tradition for our audience, the appeal really lies in the script that Anthony has written and the team working on the show. We’ve got our Offie-winning design team back to handle set, costume, lights, and sound again, plus a new collaboration with an animation company, which adds a lovely new dimension. We’ve also got a fantastic cast, with Anthony returning as villain alongside regular sidekick Louise Cielecki, plus a host of new faces including Samuel Bailey from Newsies and Jasmine Jules Andrews from the UK tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. They really are a dream team this year.
What has been the biggest challenge in realizing the writer’s vision for the show?
James: I think to answer that would be to give away the biggest twist in the show! But the challenge every year is to top the year before. Pantomime as a tradition is about repetition in so many ways—the classic panto gags and routines will always have a place—but at Greenwich, we try to add something new every year that our audience has never seen, whether that’s to do with technology, storytelling, or just our approach to the show in general. Last year, we had to work out how to fly a plane over the whole audience. This year, we have something new in store…
As the Artistic Director of Greenwich Theatre, what lies ahead in 2025?
James: Greenwich’s next season is going to be announced later this month, so I can’t say too much—watch this space.
I’ll be heading straight on to direct a new show away from Greenwich Theatre, in an exciting new venue partnership. Then back to Greenwich in May to revisit our relationship with Jez Butterworth (this news is an exclusive for Everything Theatre!) after producing The River earlier this year. But even before that, we’ll be making plans for next year’s pantomime. We also announce the title for the following year around a week into this year’s run—and we’ve got something special planned…
Thank you to Anthony, Samuel and James for talking to us, it was a pleasure – Oh, yes it was!
Dick Whittington and his Cat plays at the Greenwich Theatre, between 22nd November and 5th January 2025. Further information and booking are available here.
