We sat down with Ben Eagle, our fabulous Dame Dotty Trott to chat about being back in Doncaster and his experiences of Panto.
What was the first pantomime you saw – what was your reaction?
As a kid, I didn't really go to the pantomime. My only memory is seeing Russ Abbott in Babe's in the Wood and being sat in the gods, utterly terrified. I do remember looking up at my parents who were laughing but I didn't really know what was going on. I was very confused and very scared. But that’s my earliest memory of pantomime. Later, I worked at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, tearing tickets and selling ice-creams. I worked there for nine years, and got to see the panto every year so that was my introduction to panto, that's when I learned about the dame; what a dame was, what a comic was, and the science of panto.
What inspired you to step into the role of pantomime dame and what’s your favourite part about it?
I never wanted to be a dame. It felt like something beyond me. I thought I was going to be this Shakespearean actor. So, playing a pantomime dame never even occurred to me. I played Friar Tuck in a production of Robin Hood - the first panto I ever did. In this production of Robin Hood, Friar Tuck breaks Robin Hood out of prison by dressing as a washerwoman. And I had the best time in the dress! The director was the same director the following year and he said,
“Ben, I could see there was a glint in your eye playing that washerwoman. Would you like to play the dame this year?”. So, I did it and I've been doing it ever since. I think this is my seventh dame, and I wouldn't be involved in pantomime as anything else, because it gives you so much power...in a nice way. That sounds egotistical, but you put the fake boobs on and the makeup on and the crazy costumes and suddenly you feel the love from the audience - and that's like nothing else in theatre. Maybe if you're a celeb and you walk on stage and the audience are excited to see that person. It feels like that to be the dame. And that's priceless, isn't it?
Pantomime is known for its audience interaction. Do you have any memorable moments with the audience?
The joy of playing the dame is that you get to flirt with the men. There's been countless examples of that - and specifically choosing men that are avoiding eye contact, because those are the ones that bring me so much joy to pick-on. A word of advice for our male patrons is to keep eye contact with me! I've really enjoyed going into the audience and drinking a pint of their booze, or some nice wine, stealing crisps and sweets. Last year we got an audience member up on stage every show to play this character “Suzy”. We dressed them up and really played with them. They're absolutely powerless. Wonderful stuff.
Are there any funny behind-the-scenes stories or wardrobe mishaps you can share with us from your time in pantomime?
Another joy of playing the dame is that you get these ridiculous outfits, and this year I think they’re probably the best that I've worked with because they're so bonkers! I'm a jellybean, a baked bean, a runner bean, a burger. It’s so weird, but brilliant. Half the time we don't even reference it. I'm just in the “dress”. So, having a great dresser and a great costume team is crucial because I'll often walk off and just be stripped almost naked in the wings and then covered in something. Who knows what I'm going on as next? I just have to trust the people that are dressing me.
Have there been any disasters? I can't think of any. Which is great, isn't it? Well, maybe I've blocked them out. But part of being the dame is that you’re responsible for covering a disaster or referencing it. There's no elephant in the room. It has to be acknowledged immediately. So, I think if it has happened, I've hopefully covered it up with something.
How do you get into character before each performance? Any funny warm-up routines?
The costume does most of the work, which is great, and years ago when I first started playing dames, I wasn’t sure how to approach it - “How do I do this? Am I effeminate? Should I be camp? What is a dame?" And somebody gave me great advice, an Olivier Award-winning actor who plays the dame every year. He said, “Just be you in a dress.” That was really comforting, because it took a lot of pressure off. It's a heightened version of myself, a very cheeky version of myself. So, getting into character comes relatively easily, which is great. As far as warm-up stuff, we tend to play a lot of games and there’ll be mischievous things going on, but the plan is to always be fun and high-energy. There’s no specific warm-up stuff other than big vocal warm-ups, because it's a big sing - with dancing and singing. Lots of stamina needed!
How does it feel to be back in Doncaster after the success of last year’s pantomime Beauty and the Beast?
It was my first “Donny” year last year, and I’m delighted to be back working with Tess, who is a brilliant director; Sonum our fabulous musical director and Jazz, our very generous and patient choreographer! Neil Hurst’s scripts are so much fun to bring to life and the technical team are so great…it’s a lovely creative team. And, of course, to be back alongside my “panto son” Harry - my wonderful double-act partner! We're so different physically and comedically. He’s an absolute joy. We really trust each on-stage. It’s great being with the other returning cast, plus the new guys who are absolutely brilliant to work with. Doncaster has been very kind to me. The audience is wonderful, they're really lively. Last year, I found that you can be very cheeky in Doncaster. There's quite a few ‘on the nose’ jokes this year, which I think will go down really well. All the staff here at Cast are so friendly and everyone is working towards making the show the best it can be. So, yes, lovely to be back!
Don't miss Jack and the Beanstalk, Doncaster's GIANT family panto, running until Sunday 5 January 2025. Book here: https://www.castindoncaster.com/whats-on/jack-and-the-beanstalk/
