Huge blow for popular dame

Every Christmas for the last decade, panto dame Ben Roddy has put on a colourful array of frocks and wigs and slapped on the make-up.

So the cancellation of this year’s production has come as a huge blow to the popular actor, who recently became a dad for the second time.

“I’m really disappointed, but to those of us in the industry it’s not a surprise because live performance under the current social distancing regulations just isn’t possible,” he said. “So I suppose on that basis it was bound to a happen.” “But the shared experience of 1,200 people laughing and cheering together as families would have been just the tonic. “Now we we will just have to wait until next year when we will all be back together again.” Ben says that while the loss of work will impact him, he is well aware that many others from all walks of life are suffering.

“I am actor and panto is what I do at Christmas, so it a big blow, but I’m also aware that there is barely an industry in the country that hasn’t been touched by this pandemic one way or another,” he said.

“I think it’s important to keep a perspective and remember people have suffered healthwise and are the ones who need our support and energy.”

Ben says he was still be trying to supplement his income and has been auditioning for commercials and other television “bits and bobs”.

“As a theatre actor for 20 years it’s tough because it’s an industry which has basically ground to a halt,” he said. “But I’m trying to maintain a sense of perspective because no one has got it easy.”

Ben also has another pre-occupation with new son Rudy, who is a brother to Stan and a delight for him and his wife Kate. “He was born a week into lockdown and is giving me some fantastic time to spend with my family when I would have otherwise been away working,” he said.

Ben is still hopeful some sort of smaller scale open air panto could still happen, depending on the prevailing restrictions. “It is being talked about but is in the very early stages and we just don’t know if it can develop because it’s a very changing picture.

“But we will definitely be back next year with a bang and a fullscale production.”

Ben with new baby Rudy