Memory Lane

I've enjoyed a real trip down Panto Memory Lane today looking through a feature on Swansea Pantomimes of years gone by on www.its-behind-you.com.

Although I can't remember personally, I'm told I'm told that the first panto that I went to was Puss In Boots in 1966 which starred Jess Conrad.Now I've played charity football with Jess on a number of occasions, he's a great guy and an excellent goalkeeper!

I do remember seeing Wayne Fontana in Jack and The Beanstalk and Stan Stennet in Robinson Crusoe in 1970.

Stan is really a Welsh King of Panto and still has great enthusiasm for Panto!

Anyone who performs at the Grand can't escape the theatre's great Panto tradition as there are old panto posters along the dressing room corridors.

I think that the three that I remember the most are as follows:

1 Babes in the Woods with Ryan and Glyn Houston

2 Clive Dunn in Cinderella. Little did I know when I watched that Panto that I would share a dressing room with this great star just 10 years later when we filmed a Christmas edition of Highway at HTV in Cardiff.

3 Finally Anne Aston, Freddie Lees, Ivor Emmanuel and Kenny Smiles in Cinderella.

My first panto as a performer was for AMG at The Grand was Robin Hood (1996 -96)

I'd spent 4 seasons at The Porthcawl Pavillion (a great Panto Theatre) and was delighted to get a chance to play the Grand.

Two years later I was back for Aladdin with a great cast and have enjoyed some great seasons in the years that have followed.I understand that tickets are going well for this year’s panto which opens on Dec 19th.

Tickets are available from the Grand Box Office on 01792 475 715.