Having worked at the Blackpool Grand Theatre for over 1000 shows, Steve Royle is back for his 20th consecutive year for their pantomime Aladdin playing Wishee Washee, which is currently open and running until the 1st January, with Steve working with a cast including Tom Lister as Abanazar. In 2021, Steve was performing in the West End at the Criterion Theatre in Naturally Insane! The Life of Dan Leno, and he was a Finalist as a comedian for Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. As a special guest, support act and warm-up artist, Steve has been part of The Royal Variety Show in 2006 and Sunday Night at the Palladium, and in 2015, he performed for 16 nights at Manchester Arena for Phoenix Nights Live, raising over £5 million for Comic Relief. Steve spoke to us about returning to Blackpool Grand for this year’s pantomime Aladdin, being a Britain’s Got Talent Finalist in 2020 and performing at Manchester Arena for Phoenix Nights Live.

What are you looking forward to for playing Wishee Washee in this year’s Blackpool Grand Theatre pantomime – Aladdin?

Being reunited with my good friend Tom Lister and having a right good laugh this Christmas.

Having performed in Blackpool Grand Theatre’s pantomimes for 20 consecutive years, what do you enjoy most about performing with them?

In my opinion, it is the most beautiful theatre in the country. I am also lucky to work for directors and producers who value and trust my comedic judgement. This gives me the freedom to create and deliver some great comedy moments every year. Without their support, I could easily lose confidence during the arduous rehearsal period.

I also love the comradery of pantomime and have made friends for life from it. The rest of the year can be quite lonely travelling from gig to gig on my own so it’s nice to have a base for six weeks and work with others as part of a team.

How is it interacting with a pantomime audience and seeing families getting involved?

It’s what makes pantomime so magical. Entertaining at different levels at the same time. Also, the ability to talk to the audience during the performance makes it a truly interactive experience. It’s also why I love interviewing the kids during the songsheet at the end, you never know what they might say next! I’ve been asking this year what grandmas and grandads typically say and already I’ve had the response of “Bugger off” and “Eeh Me Back Hurts” from four to six year olds.

What will you bring to your role of Wishee Washee and what can the audience expect from your portrayal?

For a start, I explain early on that my second name used to be Sunak (pause for laugh). I always like to play the comic role as a simpleton who occasionally gets it right. Timing is everything in pantomime, especially when delivering jokes. I like to think my past experience enables me to get most comedy lines across with maximum effect. I also have a pet Rug this year called Lucky, I got him from a Car”pet” shop. It’s a cross between a Hallway Runner and a Poodle, it’s a Runny Poo.

Who do you think will enjoy watching Aladdin and why would you recommend families book tickets?

As I previously mentioned, pantomime is for all ages. There are a lot of adult jokes in this year’s Aladdin but they are subtle enough to go over the kids’ heads and the story is so fast moving there’s no time to explain such lines to little ones. There are also the usual slapstick moments that particularly appeal to younger children. Add to this the magic and audio visual effects and it really does mean we have a fun-packed show for everyone.

You reached the Final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2020, do you have any stand-out memories from your time on the show and what was it like being a Finalist?

My foremost memory of BGT is the fact that we had no audience after the initial auditions, due to the pandemic. I will never forget first entering the huge studio and seeing the enormous bank of 500 TV screens that made up the virtual audience. It was also overwhelming to perform again after so many months with no work at all. I think that showed in my performances, the sheer joy to be finally back on a stage. I will always treasure the incredibly flattering comments the judges made too and their laughter when I surprised them all by falling off the stage in the Semi-Final. I also recall phoning my mum and dad when I finally came third and my mum asking, ‘what do I win?’. I told her there was no prize for runners up and she said “there must be, go and ask!”. I reiterated that there was definitely nothing for third place and she exclaimed “well that’s ridiculous, even in the church raffle you get bath salts!”.

Can you tell us about Naturally Insane! The Life of Dan Leno and what was it like to work on?

This was a joy and a privilege to be part of. It was written with myself in mind after the writer and producer David Slatery saw me in pantomime a few years ago. I was aware of Dan Leno but had never really studied his work. There are only a few audio recordings of the Vaudeville comedian as he died in 1904 and so it was left to me to try and bring to life his various sketches. Much of the humour had dated over the years so I gave it a modern spin to make it relevant to today’s audiences. This was both challenging and rewarding. The supporting company were all lovely and we got to perform it in the West End at the Criterion Theatre in November 2021. To finally act in the West End fulfilled one of my childhood ambitions.

How is it being a special guest/support act for comedians such as Dave Spikey, Peter Kay, Mick Miller, Roy Walker and The Lancashire Hotspots?

It’s always a strange experience supporting other acts. Although the venues are usually larger than ones I would usually play, the audiences are not there to see you. This has its advantages and disadvantages, for some you are just delaying them seeing the person they really want to see and they want you to finish as soon as possible, however, it also means you have fewer expectations and invariably this leads to audiences being pleasantly surprised. Ultimately it helps you get to a wider and bigger audience.

In 2015, you performed at Manchester Arena across 16 nights for Phoenix Nights Live, how was this?

Probably the highlight of my career. To perform to almost 200,000 people and raise over £5 million for Comic Relief was incredible. I had kept in close contact with most of the Phoenix Nights cast since I first recorded my brief cameo in the TV series back in 2000 and so to perform with close mates in such a huge venue for so many nights was an absolute joy. We all had an absolute blast. Of course, it also brings back sad memories of Ted Robbins collapsing on stage on the opening night. At the time we feared the worst and it was very traumatic for everyone involved. Thankfully, he was saved by an incredible doctor who happened to be in the audience that night. When he was recovering in hospital, I took him a packet of love hearts and a pack of ribs from the butchers (to replace the ones he’d broken during his CPR trauma). He saw the funny side and laughed even though it gave him more pain. Sorry, Ted.

What are some of your other favourite highlights of your career so far?

Aside from the Phoenix Nights shows, I suppose doing warm-ups for both The Royal Variety in 2006 and Sunday Night at The Palladium are right up there. I also had the privilege of warming up for Neil Diamond at The Palladium a few years ago too. Personally though, finally achieving my dream of touring under my own name was something I will always be proud of and I hope to follow it up with another solo tour soon. Of course, my first love is pantomime and to have performed over 1000 shows at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool makes me feel both fortunate and proud.

How did you get into comedy and was it something you always wanted to do?

I guess it was by accident really. I always wanted to be an actor and learnt to juggle to supplement my CV. I then worked at Granada Studios Tour as a performer and Camelot Theme Park as Mad Edgar, which allowed me to develop and build my act. I also entertained revellers at Medieval Banquets and this gave me more confidence to perform in front of adults. When I finally broke into the stand-up comedy circuit in 2000 (as a result of a TV programme hosted by Les Dennis called Give Your Mate A Break), I found it all too easy. I was used to hecklers throwing chicken bones and Chorley cakes in my direction so a few words were never going to hurt or bother me!

Do you have any favourite comedians or comedy shows to watch?

I tend to watch very little comedy these days as I am usually too busy and on a night off the last thing I need is a laugh! I will always enjoy watching Peter Kay, Dave Spikey and my all-time favourite Lee Evans though. I also have a huge admiration for what Ken Dodd achieved and the way he imparted his knowledge to others. I’m also a big fan of surreal comics like Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Finally, my comic hero from childhood was Bobby Ball and it is so sad that he is no longer here. I was lucky enough to meet him many times and he would often say I had funny bones just like him, the ultimate accolade is when your heroes recognise your own talent.

My favourite TV comedies include Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Blackadder.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love to spend time with the family walking the dog and exploring areas like the Lake District. I recently got into painting watercolours too as I find it allows me to totally switch off. Similarly, cooking is always a welcome distraction and I love to get creative in the kitchen.

What advice would you give a new comedian starting out?

Don’t bother! I don’t need the competition! Seriously though, the secret to being a successful comedian is confidence. This grows with experience and so try to gain as much as you can. Practice material on friends and family whenever you can and work hard. Nothing comes easy and comedic success is no exception to that rule.

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