– Rebecca Caroline and Emma Greatorex contributed with this article.
After two successful years in Lincoln Theatre Royal’s pantomimes, comedy duo Cannon and Ball will be returning once again to play the Ugly Sisters in this years production of Cinderella.
Ian Dickens, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Theatre Royal, said that they will be extending the pantomime for one extra week in January. “We took 94% business which is phenomenal. This show is for everybody in Lincoln and for all the families as well. We needed a brand for our Pantomime where people could come in with the knowledge of what they’re going to get from this pantomime and that people we’re going to get are great.”
Cannon and Ball, who are known for their catchphrases such as “Rock on Tommy” and “You’re lying!”, will be playing the Ugly Sisters for the first time in their 48-year career. “We’re learning something new. I hope I don’t go too camp!” Ball joked.
Having starred in a number of pantomime’s over the years, the duo originally did them to get into the theatre business. “The only way we could get into theatre was to go bottom of the bill in a pantomime which is what we did,” said Cannon. “We had to start in the pub and in a working men’s club, then into a nightclub and out of a nightclub if you were lucky into a pantomime to start to learn theatre. ”
It’s guaranteed that when you go to see a pantomime there’s always a nice family atmosphere and that’s something that Cannon enjoys most about them. “It’s great to see the kids, mum, dad, grandma, granddad and you’re entertain the whole spectrum of people. When youngsters who have never seen us and don’t know us come, we feel like we’re gaining some fans as well.”
From this year, the pantomime will be staying with the same cast so that the audience have a sense of continuity. “It’s good for the audience as well when they come, especially when this is our second year into it and it’s good that the audience come in and see just slight changes,” Cannon said, before being corrected that this will in fact be their third year.
When it comes to including their own jokes and putting their mark on the shows, both Cannon and Ball have no problem changing the script. “Bobby will probably say; “Look Tom. You do that one and I’ll do this one. I’ll tell you what, don’t do that one, we’ll change that and we’ll put that in.” And we just knock it around,” said Cannon.
As for their plans next year, the boys are just going to take it day by day. “We’ll be touring again, doing a bit of television here and there, a bit of panto. What we’ve done all our lives really. We don’t plan me and Tommy. We just see what happens,” said Ball.
The show begins on December 7th and ends January 15th, tickets available from the Theatre Royal from £13.50, see the Theatre Royal website for more details.