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Michael Harrison and Robinson Crusoe

Whatsonstage North East caught up with Michael Harrison, Managing Director of Qdos  Pantomimes for the first of our monthly updates on his 2008 pantomime Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates.  During our discussion it soon became clear that even though there is still eight months to go before the pantomime opens, at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, pre- production is well under way.

Michael has written, produced and directed the last three pantomimes at the Theatre Royal all starring father and son comedy team Clive Webb and Danny Adams. Cinderella, also starring Jill Halfpenny, started the run of hit shows, followed by Jack and the Beanstalk, when Craig Conway (now Jill’s husband) joined the established leads in the show. Last year, Craig returned with Clive and Danny in Aladdin, with Faye Tozer replacing Jill as the leading lady.

Year upon year the pantomimes have broken the Theatre Royal box office record set the previous year and Robinson Crusoe looks like being no exception. Michael ensures each show has taken a different slant on the traditional telling of the story, such as Jill Halfpenny playing the role of Mother Nature in Jack and the Beanstalk, which is certainly part of their success.

Over the years the North East has taken Clive and Danny to their hearts and they certainly are the stars of the show. This means as soon as the booking opens and the audience is aware the two comics are back, tickets start to fly out of the box office. Last year tickets were selling for Robinson Crusoe and Aladdin and not even opened, such is the pulling power of Danny and Clive. Michael told me that last year an elderly lady stopped and asked him if he was anything to do with the pantomime (she did not know he was writer, director and producer). She explained that she was seeing Aladdin four times during its run and was already booked to see Robinson Crusoe three times and wanted it known, that in her opinion, nothing about the show should be changed.

Her comments have stayed with Michael as he started work on Robinson Crusoe and he is determined to give the North East audiences (and this old lady) another first class pantomime this Christmas.    I wanted to know where he was up to on the actual process of the pantomime and Michael told me, that he first plots the story line, so he has an opening, middle and end. For Robinson Crusoe he has also already outlined the number of scenes in Act One, but in essence it is not until the previews that the show takes its final shape. For example in Cinderella, the ball scene was significantly altered during the previews with a routine from Act One replacing part of the action and this move literally transformed the show.

For this year, while everyone is familiar with the Robinson Crusoe story, the panto will have the special “Michael” treatment, with pirates, underwater scenes, mermaids, sea monsters and of course a “dame”. While no official announcement has been made over the role, I can say we are in for a real treat once again, as the role has been cast and we are promised extremely spectacular costumes and great comedy scenes. Michael explained the show opens with a ship that is the width of the Theatre Royal stage and from the banks of  old Newcastle we sail off on an adventure that involves the Pirates of the Caribbean searching for a treasure map. While there is still plenty of work to be done on the production over the next few months from what Michael has told me and with Danny Adams as Robinson Crusoe and Clive playing Mr Crusoe, I know we will have another five star pantomime in Newcastle.

Whatsonstage North East will catch up with Michael next month to hear about the further developments of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates.

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