Until Sunday 4th January 2026, Mark Read is playing Jack Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime at Wycombe Swan, having played the character for the last four years, and Mark works with a cast including Christina Harris (Princess Jill), Scott Mills (Mayor Mills), La Voix (Dame Trott), Matt Edwards (Larry), Jo Osmond (Poison Ivy) and Thomas Brackley (Giant). In 2021, Mark released the single It Wouldn’t Be a Christmas Without Panto alongside Naomi Wilkinson and Katie Pritchard, and he released his new single on Friday 28th November called Christmas Star. For Europe’s biggest robot combat show featuring the stars of Robot Wars, Mark released EXTREME ROBOTS (THE ALBUM) earlier this year, and he performed on select dates of Chesney Hawkes’s 2025 Tour, having previously worked with him including recording Take on Me for lockdown sessions. With his band a1 (who formed in 1998), Mark has toured throughout the year, and will be continuing touring in 2026 including dates in Canada and Taiwan, and they will be working on a new a1 album next year. We chatted to Mark about starring as Jack Trott in Wycombe Swan’s pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, touring with Chesney Hawkes and his time with a1 so far.
You are starring as Jack Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk at Wycombe Swan until Sunday 4th January 2026, what can audiences expect from your portrayal of the character and what is Jack like to play?
The great audiences in High Wycombe can expect a high-energy, upbeat, positive performance, which is pretty much what I try to be all the time, so the character of Jack isn’t too much of a stretch and is the most fun of the roles I’ve played.
How does it feel to be reprising the role, having played Jack in 2021/22/23/24, and was there anything that originally drew you to the character?
I’ll always jump at any opportunity to be the hero in an action-packed adventure with lots of amazing music. Each time I’ve played Jack, it’s offered something different and exciting.
What do you enjoy most about Jack and the Beanstalk and how is it telling the story?
The story has a great journey from start to finish, with a Giant and a beanstalk and a love story. What’s not to love?
You’ve performed alongside most of the cast including Christina Harris (Princess Jill), Scott Mills (Mayor Mills), Matt Edwards (Larry) and Jo Osmond (Poison Ivy) for the past few years; how does it feel to be reuniting with them for another pantomime season?
It’s so good to be back with my friends from previous years and we always have so much fun together. Not forgetting Thomas Brackley, who is our incredible Giant.
How do you typically prepare for the first performance?
Preparation is key so I just make sure I know what I’m doing and to make sure everyone coming to see the show has the best time.
Why would you recommend booking tickets to see the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime at Wycombe Swan?
So many reasons – where to start? The amazing cast, the great music and dance, and the hilarious jokes – this panto has everything you could want and more. Plus, it’s a lovely area to come and visit.
In 2021, you released the song It Wouldn’t Be a Christmas Without Panto alongside Naomi Wilkinson and Katie Pritchard, what was it like to work on?
It was so much fun writing and producing that song with Naomi and Katie in between shows a few years back in Worthing. I think we’ve cornered the market in Christmas/panto songs and it’s gone down really well and comes around very year.
Your new single Christmas Star has just been released (on Friday 28th November), how long has it been in the making and where did the inspiration come from for the lyrics?
Christmas Star is the continuation of a song I started years back. It was nice to get it finished in time for this year’s panto, and it’s been really well-received.
Can you tell us about EXTREME ROBOTS (THE ALBUM), which you released earlier this year for Europe’s biggest robot combat show featuring the stars of Robot Wars?
Extreme Robots is a spin-off of the classic BBC show Robot Wars, and I produce the music for it. The shows are awesome! And they’re back for an even bigger tour in 2026.
What was it like supporting Chesney Hawkes on select dates of his 2025 tour, having performed together in the past and recorded Take on Me for lockdown sessions in 2020?
Chesney is a great mate and I’ve known him for years. He is without a doubt one of the nicest and hardest working guys in the music biz.
Throughout the year, you have been touring with your fellow a1 band members, do you have a favourite aspect of performing as part of a1 and how is it seeing the fan response to your performances?
Anytime I get to perform with my a1 brothers it’s like a family reunion. We have the best time and the live shows have been bigger and better than ever!
Can you say about some of the shows you have upcoming, which sees you touring to countries such as Singapore and Norway, and how is it touring the world as a music artist?
So many new destinations coming up next year like Canada and Taiwan and we’re coming back to the UK with a new album, so expect lots of a1 activity in 2026.
What are some of your stand-out highlights so far from your career in a1 over the years since you formed in 1998?
Too many to mention – our first self-written UK number 1, a Brit Award, and all the amazing people I’ve met over the years.
Where does your love of performing come from and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
I have a very musical family two generations back so it comes from my mum, dad and grandad.
Do you have any favourite music artists to listen to and how do you like to spend your free time?
So many – Elton John, Billy Joel, The Divine Comedy, Post Malone – anything that grabs my attention.
Apart from the upcoming a1 tour, do you have any plans for 2026 that you can share?
I’m looking forward to a little bit of time off in January after panto before I get back to working on the new a1 album. We have around 18-20 new songs coming.
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Categories: home, Interview, Music, Pantomimes, Recording Artists