Family Robinson, Dick Whittington and 2011 his Meerkat, 2015 Dame for a l augh Robin Hood and his Merry Men, 2012
IT’S dame over for Britain’s greatest panto stalwart.
Berwick Kaler’s 41 years as the dame at York’s Theatre Royal will finally be behind him in February. Oh yes they will.
When The Grand Old Dame of York ends he will hang up his trademark red and yellow tights and ginger wig for the last time.
Berwick, who had a pacemaker fitted in 2016 and had a double heart bypass in 2017, has never missed a show and did not want to “let audiences down”.
He said “I’m pushing my luck, I’m 72 and a very physical dame. I don’t want to go on with a Zimmer.”
The writer, performer and director from Sunderland said: “I wouldn’t ever let the audience down. Panto has always come first.” Since his 1965 Babes in the Wood debut and earning panto damehood in 1977, Berwick has acted with many stars, including former 007 Pierce Brosnan and Oscarwinner Gary Oldman. Ol d man was Di c k Whittington’s cat in 1979 and, Berwick recalled, “fainted three times in the cat suit on stage.”
Berwick, known for throwing biscuits and bottles of beer into the audience, said: “I don’t wear make-up, I wear a wig and that’s it. I’m a Geordie dame in Yorkshire! I’ve broken all the rules. Panto is an art.”
The Grand Old Dame of York, York Theatre Royal, until 2 February, call 01904 623568 and yorktheatre royal.co.uk