In the pantomime Aladdin at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, Robin Windsor is playing the Genie of the Lamp until the show closes on 1st January 2024, and he is working with a cast including Anthony Sahota as Aladdin and Daniel Wallace (Anna Phylactic) as Widow Twankey. Robin came out of retirement from performing for the Here Come The Boys show at the Garrick Theatre, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic, however, they had a two week slot at The London Palladium for the venue’s first show back after re-opening, and he was then offered a starring role in the Moulin Rouge! tribute show Come What May, which he toured with in 2022/23. In 2002, Robin started performing in Burn the Floor and toured the world with the show before joining Strictly Come Dancing, and over his years as a professional dancer on the series, his celebrity partners have included Anita Dobson in 2011, followed by Lisa Riley in 2012, who he reached the Semi-Final with. Burn the Floor asked Robin to perform with them for their West End run, as well as their 25th year Reunion Tour last year, and he has appeared on numerous game shows, including Pointless Celebrities, most recently with Joanne Clifton, where they came away with the trophy. We talked to Robin about playing the Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft, touring with Come What May, being part of Burn the Floor and Here Come The Boys and his time as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.

What are you looking forward to most for playing Genie of the Lamp in Aladdin at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft this Christmas?

I love panto. For me, it’s just seeing the kids’ reaction to everything. For a lot of them, it’s the very first experience of going to the theatre and it’s opening their minds up to maybe that’s something they’d like to do in the future, or start to get into theatre and like going to see shows.

Have you played the character before and what can audiences expect from your portrayal?

Yes, I’ve played the Genie before, this will be my third time and I absolutely love it! It’s just like me – full of energy, loads of fun, a little bit silly… and I get to grant people wishes, which is absolutely amazing!

How was it meeting the Aladdin cast for the first time and what do you enjoy most about performing in pantomime?

Like any job that you do, on the first day it’s like the first day of school. You’re always worried about what the people are going to be like, especially when you’re doing panto because you’re with them all day every day, but everyone is absolutely lovely. It’s a great cast and everybody’s there looking out for each other. Most importantly, we all want to make it the best show possible, which we have.

What is it like interacting with pantomime audiences and seeing families getting involved?

As I said before, pantos are family traditions and they come every single year. For a lot of children, it’s their first experience of theatre and hopefully it will entice a lot more children into that industry.

Why would you recommend booking tickets to see Aladdin at Marina Theatre, which runs from 12th December until 1st January?

You have to come and see Aladdin at the Marina Theatre because I’m in it and that’s the most fabulous thing ever! It is such a great cast, Aladdin is one of the best stories and it’s full of sparkle, full of life and has lots of songs. Kids can get involved and it’s just a great show.

What was it like touring with Come What May in 2022 and 2023 and can you tell us about the show?

Come What May was amazing. I retired from performing a couple of years ago and I was enticed back onto the stage to go to The London Palladium for a show called Here Come The Boys. There was a guy there who produced Come What May and he said, “I want you in my show!”. So, for the next two years, I toured around the country in a Moulin Rouge! tribute show, which was so much fun, and you get to see the whole of the United Kingdom.

Do you have any favourite memories from being involved with Burn the Floor over the years and how was it returning for the Reunion Tour last year?

Burn The Floor was what started my entire career. I joined in 2002 and toured the world with it for ten years before I joined Strictly. I was then invited back to headline in the West End and then to come back for the 25 year reunion was absolutely amazing. It absolutely killed me because it was tough on the old body when I was in my 20s, let alone in my 40s! But it was so, so much fun.

You were part of Here Come the Boys at The London Palladium, what was the show like to perform in?

Absolutely brilliant! As I said before, I was enticed out of retirement to join Here Come The Boys. We were supposed to have a four-month run at the Garrick, but lockdown got extended and it ended up getting cancelled and we thought that was it. But then The London Palladium offered us two weeks, which was absolutely amazing to be the first show back out of lockdown at The London Palladium. We found out at the end that we were dancing on top of Sir Bruce Forsyth’s ashes because he is buried under the stage there.

Having been a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing for a number of series, what are some of your stand-out highlights from your time as a Strictly professional?

Oh my gosh, every single day working on Strictly was a dream. I got to meet some incredible people and every single one of my partners was amazing. If I had to pick one stand-out, that very first dance I did with Lisa Riley, where she lifted me. She wanted to prove that you don’t have to be a certain size to be able to dance and she went all the way to the Semi-Final, and we remain the best of friends.

What is it like filming for game shows including your recent appearance on Pointless Celebrities alongside Joanne Clifton?

Game shows are an awful lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to do them since I was younger. I love them! When you get invited to do them, it’s absolutely brilliant. Pointless has always been one of my favourites. I did it once before and went out in the first round and it was terrible. I went back with Joanne Clifton and we actually won and got a Pointless trophy, which I’ve always wanted, and it still sits on the side of my bed.

Where does your love of dance and performing come from and how did you get into the industry?

I love moving to music. Moving to music makes me feel good. It makes everybody feel good. My parents used to teach ballroom dancing at a local dance school so I was always there doing that from when I was little and I realised that that was the direction I wanted my life to go in, and 40 odd years later, I am still doing it.

How do you like to spend your free time?

At the gym or asleep.

What advice would you give a new dancer starting out?

Persistence. Practice, practice, practice. You’ve just got to keep going. You’re going to get so many disappointments but, once you get that one win, that’s the one that’s going to spur you on to keep going so just keep pushing.

What are you hoping next year brings for you and do you have any upcoming plans that you can tell us about?

In our industry, you never know what’s around the corner. There are plans for a new tour in the pipeline but we will have to watch this space. But until then… keep dancing!

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