STARS WHO’VE

CLIVE DUNN ADRIAN EDMONDSON BRIAN BLESSED

If ever you wonder just why there are such star-studded line-ups in pantomimes, you may wish to lift the curtain to get an idea of just how much the stars of the big shows get paid.

Without naming names, some of the top talent which have graced Kent’s stages during the panto season collect six-figures sums for what generally amounts to no more than two months’ work.

It’s not to be sniffed at, but then neither is the impact of the panto phenomenon to theatres across the county.

It brings a fervour to frequently subdued arenas and introduces a whole new generation to the joy of theatre - albeit one where slapstick, song and dance tend to be the order of the day.

Many theatres still rely on it to deliver a sizeable chunk of their annual revenues - using the family-friendly performances to help support a more culturally varied programme during the rest of the year.

But the one thing all are painfully aware of is is that celebrity sells. And while that can come at a high cost, the returns can be considerable.

If you’re paying £100,000 to a big name, you need to be certain they have the pulling power to generate considerably more in ticket revenues.

And Kent has certainly seen

when they got the US rapper to perform as Captain Hook in its 2011 production of Peter Pan.

He arrived for rehearsals 10 days before the performance started - and admitted he was still only halfway through the script when he arrived to meet fellow cast members. Immortalised, perhaps forever, as the bungling Lance Corporal Jones in the classic Dad’s Army, those with long memories will For a generation, Ade Edmondson was part of a comedy movement which defined an era. From the Young Ones to Blackadder, Bottom and the Comic Strip, he holds a special place in the heart of many.

So it was something of a surprise when he performed as Captain Hook at the Marlowe in Canterbury’s temporary ‘big tent’ in 2009. Wife Jennifer Saunders paid a visit to watch him in action. The thought of Brian Blessed in pantomime may be too much for many to imagine. But with that booming voice he was perhaps perfectly cast as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Dartford’s Orchard back in 2003.

Unsurprisingly, it proved a big hit with audiences, surpassing expectations at the box office.