Ahead of the Pantomime version of Cinderella which will be touring the country as of November, VIVA got the chance to do a quick interview with Dancing On Ice coaches and sports superstars, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

VIVA: Welcome to Manchester! Are you excited for your debut in Panto this Christmas? What are your roles in the play?

TORVILL: Yes we’re very excited to be in our first Panto. We are the fairy godparents for Cinderella, which is slightly different from the traditional Fairy Godparent role as we come as a pair. We oversee what happens to Cinderella and try and steer her in the right direction!

VIVA: How do you find learning the lines?

DEAN: We’ll tell you when we find out! We’ve not been given our scripts yet! To be honest, we’re just excited because it’s our debut Panto, since the last 10 years practically have been dominated by Dancing On Ice, this is a complete change for us.

TORVILL: Exactly, to do something like this is obviously completely different to how the public usually see us so we’re pretty excited for it.

VIVA: What are your thoughts on Manchester as a city? Have you visited here many times before?

TORVILL: We love Manchester! We’re always excited to come here and preform. I think the audiences here are so warm and welcoming. Our Manchester fans are great!

DEAN: Yes, we actually opened the new Manchester Arena, and we were the first act to preform there, it was very exciting for us and we have a big affinity for Manchester.

VIVA: Obviously, Cinderella will be preformed around the Christmas period, what is your usual Christmases like at home? How do you think doing Cinderella will change the festive period for you?

TORVILL: Well, of course Dancing On Ice has mostly dominated our festive period over the past 10 years. Generally, we get Christmas Day off, possibly a few days after but as soon as New Year comes along, we always have to go back to work.

DEAN: Well this year Jayne will be able to go home but I live mostly in Colorado so it’ll have to be room service unless Jayne invites me to hers for home cooked food! But usually, we have a break because Dancing on Ice has just finished so I have a traditional big family Christmas. 

VIVA also had the opportunity to speak to the rest of the stars of the show, including leading lady Eloise Davies, as she takes the starring role in her second ever Pantomime. We also spoke to Buttons, played by Andre Vincent, about his role as ‘Buttons’ in the play and his memories of Manchester.

VIVA: So Eloise, are you excited for your starring role? 

DAVIES: I must admit I am a bit nervous, as it’s only my second ever role in Panto, but I love watching them every year so I’m also very excited.

VINCENT: I’ve never played Buttons before, as usually they cast the Dame of the play and they are normally Buttons, so I am grateful and excited to be playing alongside such a great and well known cast.

VIVA: Have you ever visited Manchester before?

DAVIES: Today is my first ever time in Manchester! I’m of course very excited to be here, as its a new city for me.

VINCENT: I’ve been to Manchester many, many times before, especially to do stand up comedy at the Comedy Store, as well as other festivals in the city, as well as the theatre at The Lowry in Salford Quays. I’ll be taking Eloise for a tour of Manchester after this interview! I love places such as Afflecks Palace, its very trendy and I think Eloise will love it! I also love all the vinyl and record shops that Manchester have, its very unique to the city.

VIVA: What is your favourite thing about doing Panto?

VINCENT: To do stand up all year and then to have almost a break for a few weeks to entertain everyone from the ages of 5-85 just gives me such a buzz, there’s nothing in the entertainment industry that’s like doing Panto. I love doing it.

VIVA also spoke to ‘The Ugly Sisters’ who are played this year by Tim Hudson and Dave Lynn. Tim is no stranger to the stage, as his career started at The Royal Shakespeare Company, where he appeared in several productions such as Hamlet with Keith Branagh and King Lear with Robert Stephens. Dave has starred in a variety of productions from a very early age, as is now one of Britains favourite female impersonators, as well as starring in guest lead roles in TV dramas in both Coronation Street and Eastenders.

VIVA: Have you both starred on stage together before, or is this the first time?

HUDSON: Yes, we’ve played together in Panto last year. I played the Barron, so in fact I was Dave’s father! I think we work together well as we’re the opposite to each other which is visually great for the traditional role of the Ugly Sisters.

VIVA: How are you finding Manchester?

LYNN: Well I do cabaret and I’ve wanted to do a Manchester Panto for ages, I absolutely love it here, it’s a great city. It’ll be a struggle for us to go home and actually rehearse because there’s so much for us to do here!

HUDSON: Yes I really like it here! I’m looking forward to great food from the Curry Mile as well as the nights out!

VIVA: What other projects are in the pipeline after you finish Cinderella?

LYNN: Well I’ve just finished doing Birds of a Feather which was great and will come out in October and then I’ll go back to cabaret.

Make sure to book tickets to see Cinderella, which will be preformed on stage in Manchester at The Opera House, from 5th December 2015 until 3rd January 2016. To book, simply click here.

Photography credit: Kieron Paul www.kieronpaulphotography.co.uk

@torvillanddean / @PalaceAndOpera