The lines have been drawn as the battle for the Variety Crown of Dublin begins. The question is who will succeed Maureen Potter as the Grand Dame of the Christmas pantomine? Will it be Adele King aka Twink (who broke all tradition last year by bringing a panto to the Point) now seriously ensconced in rehearsals for Rockinson Crusoe at the Olympia theatre? Or, will it be June Rodgers, already aching bellies and splitting sides with her ribroaring humour in Mother Goose at the Gaiety theatre?
"I don't look on myself as being a Panto Queen. The Gaiety is a tradition in itself. Many people went as children themselves and now they are bringing their children. No matter who is playing there, people will go," says the recently-married, buoyantly-happy (he'll probably divorce me by February!), Panto Princess, June Rodgers modestly. Twink - herself a veteran of the genre - is however all fired up about the Olympia production which as well as taking the leading role (aside from Dustin the Turkey, of course) she wrote and produced herself. "It's time to do away with the old-fashioned, heavy-laden plot with actors simply acting things out in the old Danny Lowrie Panto Mime style," she says authoritatively. "Children are bored with the lack of action, no matter how ethically-pleasing it it. My aim with this show is to have more rock 'n' roll. However, I'm pulling out of the performance thing sooner than people think. I enjoy writing and producing enormously so you could say, I'm in a transition phase now," she adds.
Meanwhile, Panto Queens/Princesses, what are promising us with this year's shows? Well, Rodgers begins: "I'm gobsmacked by what Richard De Vere, the illusionist can do. And musically, we have everything from the Back Street Boys to the Spice Girls. And there are two St Bernard pups as extras to Schnorbitz, the St Bernard dog, so I'm thinking of auditioning my own two labradors next year," she laughs. Twink adds: "We've got everything from Afro Rock to Hip Hop and tap dancing to Irish dancing. It's an 80 per cent dance show. Dickie Rock's son, Richard Rock stars as Rockinson Crusoe. And a lot of the action is out in the theatre and in the boxes." So, audiences, it's up to you. Who is the Panto Queen of Dublin this year?
Twink stars in Rockinson Crusoe at the Olympia, Dublin
