Last month, Jerome Lincoln started his run as Katy Perry/Ensemble in Stratford East pantomime Mama Goose, which is written by Vikki Stone and Tonderai Munyevu, which is open until Saturday 3rd January 2026, with Stratford East’s pantomimes famous for telling classic stories with an East London twist. For Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s 2025 summer season, Jerome performed in three shows simultaneously – playing Roger in Grease, Meyer Wolfsheim Jr. in The Great Gatsby and Andy in Sunshine on Leith, and in 2024, he was in the West End transfer of Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre as Onstage Swing and dance captain. Jerome played Volume in the new family musical Alice in Wonderland at Liverpool Playhouse Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth, with the music and lyrics by the Stratford East’s pantomime co-writer Vikki Stone, and he previously played Ed in Whistle Down the Wind at The Watermill Theatre and made his professional debut in the world premiere of For You I’d Wait at the Turbine Theatre and Union Theatre in 2022, playing Christophe. We spoke to Jerome about playing Katy Perry/Ensemble in Mama Goose at Stratford East, performing in three shows simultaneously in the summer season at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and being in the cast of the West End transfer in 2024 of Standing at the Sky’s Edge.

You have recently opened in Stratford East’s pantomime of Mama Goose as Katy Perry/Ensemble, can you tell us about the show?

Mama Goose is a fun, silly panto about a complicated mother and son relationship. Who wouldn’t want to see that?! Behind all the jokes, there’s real questions it’s asking about our relationships to social media, money and developing technology and how that affects our relationships with the people around us, which I think is very relevant for this time.

Stratford East’s pantomimes are famous for telling classic stories with an East London twist; what can audiences expect from this production and how has it been reading Vikki Stone and Tonderai Munyevu’s script for the first time?

This production is unapologetically influenced by the rich history of African culture and its impact on East London. The music is all original by Robert Hyman, which is unique for panto, and Kloe Dean’s choreography is all rooted in hip-hop, Afro beat and dancehall styles, which I think is going to be really fun for audiences to see! I’m also pretty excited for people to see the two rapping fairies, who are just brilliant.

Reading Vikki and Tonderai’s script for the first time was a lot of laughs and gasps. I’m always surprised by their willingness to ‘go there’ on the political critique hidden behind the jokes.

How does it feel to be taking on the role of Katy Perry/Ensemble and how have you prepared for the run?

I always knew I was meant to play pop star Katy Perry! At the moment, the preparation has been learning a lot of fabulous choreography, harmonies and lines. I always try to rest as much as I can during rehearsal because a panto schedule is no joke!

Having performed in pantomimes previously (Cinderella at Lyric Hammersmith and Sleeping Beauty at Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch), what do you enjoy most about being part of a pantomime over the festive season?

I love the spontaneity and risk that comes with panto. You never really know what the show is until you get the audience involved as they are so key to the storytelling. As a performer you have to really listen to your scene partners and the audience and be ready to come out with a well-timed ad-lib. It really keeps you present and sharp!

What do you think this year’s show will be like to perform in and what are you looking forward to for being in the cast of Stratford East’s 2025 pantomime?

I’m really looking forward to the audience response, they are what makes the panto so I can’t wait to see how they respond to the story!

Why would you recommend booking tickets to see Mama Goose at Stratford East, which is booking from Friday 21st November to Saturday 3rd January 2026?

I would recommend booking your tickets as soon as possible for a night of laughter, great music and dance and some challenging ideas that will leave you thinking.

How was your time performing at Pitlochry Festival Theatre for their summer season earlier this year and how did you find the experience working on three shows simultaneously?

Learning the three shows simultaneously was definitely the biggest challenge of my career so far. I felt like my head would explode at one point, but then suddenly it all sank in and it was very rewarding to do.

What did you enjoy most about playing Roger in Grease, Meyer Wolfsheim Jr. in The Great Gatsby and Andy in Sunshine on Leith and how different did you find each production?

Grease is such a beloved show so it was a great joy to be able to put my own take on Roger. Sunshine on Leith is very much a Scottish story and I felt my duty was to do my best to support that and not mess up the very famous Proclaimers songs! The Great Gatsby was my first ‘straight play’ and I feel I learned a lot from the more experienced actors around me and the brilliant direction of Sarah Brigham.

Was there anything that drew you to Grease, The Great Gatsby and Sunshine on Leith and what was it like telling all three stories?

I was quite drawn to the challenge of living between the three worlds as it were. The joy of doing rep theatre is you are forced into being really present every show, you can’t sit back on your laurels and relax as you would on a long run of a single production. I was really forced to listen on stage in order to remember what I was doing in each show.

How was it joining the cast of the West End transfer of Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2024 as Onstage Swing and dance captain?

I initially saw Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre in 2023, cried through the whole thing, then turned to my friends and said ‘it’s such a shame I’ll never be in a show that good!’. Imagine my surprise when I got the audition, let alone booking the job! It was the biggest honour of my career so far and I’m really proud to have been a small part of it.

What was it like playing Volume in the new family musical Alice in Wonderland (which had music and lyrics by Vikki Stone, co-writer of Stratford East’s Mama Goose) at Liverpool Playhouse Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth?

Alice was my first ‘family show’ and I feel I learned a lot about playfulness and comedy on stage while working with that company. Obviously the vocal quality of Volume was very loud, so it was also a journey in learning vocal stamina and how to do things safely and sustainably while still being funny.

You played Ed in Whistle Down the Wind at The Watermill Theatre, can you tell us about this?

Whistle was my first ‘big job’ as it were, and my first time in an actor-muso show which added a whole dimension to learning the show. I was very atypical casting for Ed being quite young at the time, but actually the character felt so right on me. I felt extremely lucky to be there and I had the time of my life with the cast, some of whom are still my best friends to this day. Tom Jackson Greaves’s language of movement is some of my favourite in the industry so it was a joy to do every night.

What are some of your favourite memories from making your professional debut in the world premiere of For You I’d Wait at the Turbine Theatre and Union Theatre as Christophe in 2022?

I made some of my closest friends on that job. One of my favourite memories was singing two duets with the Scottish riff queen Billie Kerr, she absolutely sang me under the table every day and I loved every moment of it.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I’ve always loved having a room’s attention and telling a story, it’s likely having two pastors as parents contributed to that. I had a very unconventional path into acting, I was in my late 20s and very unhappy doing my counselling degree until a vocal coach told me she thought I had what it takes. Long story short, I cold-emailed a bunch of agents with a homemade singing reel and one of them was crazy enough to take a chance on me.

Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?

I loved the Stereophonic play in the West End, and Slave Play last year was one of the most provocative things I’ve seen in a while. For musicals, A Strange Loop was excellent and I’m still fuming I wasn’t in it! I feel like I’m the only actor in London who hasn’t seen Cabaret yet, and a dear friend is in it now so I’ve got no excuse!

How do you like to spend your free time?

When I have free time, I try to spend as much time as possible with my friends who I’m obsessed with. Dinners, trips to the pub, long walks, ideally all three spread through the day. Otherwise I try to get to the gym when I can!

What are you hoping 2026 brings for you?

In this moment, I’m hoping for a few holidays! This year has been incredible from a professional point of view, but I’m tired! Then I hope to be lucky enough to keep working as a performer, I did my first cabaret this year and I’d love to do more of that kind of thing in 2026.

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