| Aladdin in Stevenage | Gordon Craig Theatre Saturday 27th November 2004 - Sunday 6th February 2005 Box Office: 08700 131 030 Take a magic carpet ride to the mysterious Orient in this exotic pantomime where a story of sorcerers, jewels and a genie awaits LUCY BENJAMIN (Lisa from Eastenders) stars as Aladdin and cheeky chappy, television presenter MIKE McCLEAN (Big Breakfast, Richard and Judy) will be managing the mayhem when he appears alongside her as Wishee Washee. Other Gordon Craig regular’s will be making an appearance, such as PAUL LAIDLAW as the hilarious Widow Twankey, SCOTT ST MARTYN as the Chinese Policeman accompanied by GRAHAM KENT as evil Abanazar and GEMMA HARRIS as Princess Jasmine. |
As Lisa Shaw / Fowler in EastEnders, Lucy Benjamin lurched from crisis to crisis, but now after a stint in theatre in York, she's all set for a lot of seasonal fun, doing panto a bit closer to her North London home. Because not only is playing Aladdin in Stevenage set to be laugh a minute, it will allow her to be closer to her friends, family and her fiance during the festive season. Lucy, 34, met her acrobat boyfriend while doing panto last year, and while she says she'd never say never to an 'Enders return, she's very much looking forward to new career opportunities in the future and her wedding to her new (very bendy!) man! What do you like about doing panto? Lucy I love panto. I’ve done it for the past three years running and as much as it’s hard work you also have a fabulous time. Audiences are always so up for having a great time and the cast are always up for having a great time. And I love all the singing and dancing and showing off – getting out my rusty tap shoes and just strutting my stuff really! Normally I get to wear the pretty dresses because usually I’m the principle girl but this is the first time I’ve been principle boy. I’m playing Aladdin so I’ll be in tights and a little kind of mini skirty thing. I’m getting my pins out unfortunately – but it’s all good fun! I just love the whole spirit of panto. This is my seventh panto in total and my fourth for Kevin Wood. Each one is very different, but what I love about Kevin’s pantos is that they are very traditional and they look fabulous and a lot of effort and hard work goes into them.
 | | Lucy Benjamin on the Jonathan Ross Show |
I was in Aladdin with Jim Davidson last year, which was fun as you can probably imagine. I loved him. You just have the best time and as much as they’re hard work you kind of forget about that, and that’s why I think you do it each year. You forget about the hard work and how tired you can get. You’re trained in acting, singing and dancing so panto is probably perfect for you? Lucy It’s all a bit rusty now, but I did train at theatre school where you did singing and dancing and acting. I suppose acting was my strongest but I can knock out a tune and I did used to dance. I actually thought I’d end up being a dancer in a chorus line or something in musical theatre so it’s nice to kind of get back to doing that again. I don’t do it from year to year so I can’t say it will be fantastic but I do enjoy it! It must be nice to have a bit of a laugh for a change?! Lucy Yes - as opposed to Lisa who was constantly crying! This is just fun! It’s a very happy time and very different to playing Lisa in EastEnders! You couldn’t get more different! But I loved Lisa. She was a great character and I loved playing all those story lines. It was a wonderful opportunity for me but all that angst and that drama can sometimes get to you. Was it difficult to relax at home after a hard day of filming as Lisa? Lucy What’s difficult is that you’ve got to do it all again tomorrow. And it’s hard keeping yourself in that kind of frame of mind and being that down. It does get a little bit much but that’s what we have to do as actors really. You just have to get on with it! Well I thought she was great. EastEnders hasn’t been the same since you left! Lucy
 | | An angst ridden Lucy Benjamin in EastEnders |
AWWW thank you! You should tell the bosses that! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great experience and got me where I am today really, so I can’t knock it for any reason whatsoever. The show was really good during that time as well. There were great story lines and great viewing figures! Did you get to snog Nigel Harman?! Lucy Well – kind of! I sort of pounced on him. (his character Dennis that is!) What was that like? Lucy It was fabulous. He’s very gorgeous and he’s a really nice bloke as well. He’s a sex symbol now isn’t he? Yes – I had my moment with him but he knocked Lisa back! Unfortunately! She did try her hardest to get to him and get her claws into him though! You haven’t been killed off though have you? Lucy No she hasn’t been killed off. Loads of characters are revived and brought back but I don’t know if it’s something I’d want to do again at the moment. It still feels like only yesterday I was there and it’s good to kind of recharge your batteries and get out there and do other things. But I love the show and I’d never say never! And I liked playing Lisa. I thought she was a great character so you just don’t know. A new boss has just gone in and you just don’t know which direction they’ll take it in. It’s all in their hands. At the moment though, you’ll be spending Christmas in Stevenage. Have you been there much before? Lucy
 | | The cast of Aladdin in Stevenage 2004 |
I’ve never been to Stevenage before but Borehamwood, where we filmed EastEnders, is only down the road, and what’s nice about being here is that I’ll be able to commute home (to North London). I’ll have my family and friends around me at Christmas time so I’ll have the best of both worlds. This year it’s going to be great because more often than not I normally have to stay where I’m doing panto And you’re getting married aren’t you? Lucy I’m engaged yes. I can confirm that I’m engaged! Now let me get this right. You’re engaged to a 20-year-old acrobat – fantastic! Lucy Yes, I am!! [laughs] We met in panto last year when we were both doing Aladdin in Southampton with Jim Davidson. I’ve had a few pats on the back I can tell you! But I can highly recommend it – absolutely! Congratulations! Lucy Thank you very much - I’m very happy – it’s great and very exciting. But all the arrangements for that take up a lot of your time It’s hectic – very busy. Have you set a date yet? Lucy We have but I’m keeping everything under wraps. My nan doesn’t know all the ins and outs at the moment so I think she’d kill me if she read it before I’d sat down and told her! So professionally, do you know what you’d like to do next – after panto? Lucy I know what I’d LIKE to do! I’d love to do some comedy next but whether that’s going to happen or not I don’t know. At the moment it’s a bit of an open book. There are a few possibilities but nothing that I’ve signed and sealed. But it’s exciting not knowing exactly what you’re going to be doing, but I think I’d like to do comedy next. That would be fantastic. Well panto is a good start for that! Lucy
 | | Lucy Benjamin and Mike McLean in Aladdin |
Absolutely yeah [laughs] I think I’ll leave all the comic bits to Mike [McLean] but I love being involved and seeing where they take it. That’s what’s great about panto – you just don’t know where it’s going to end up! I think that my job is to keep the story going and keep it all in the right direction. But Mike is very funny. I’m looking forward to working with him but I probably won’t be able to get a word in edgeways! Would you like to do more theatre? Lucy I’ve just done a stint up in York in a play called The Pocket Dream written by Sandi Toksvig and I loved it. I started out doing a lot of theatre so it was nice to go back. But I can’t say I only want to do that. As an actress you tend to go with a decent script and if it’s on stage you’ll do it and if it’s in front of a camera you’ll do it. I don’t rule out one or the other. But if I had to choose I think my favourite would be in front of the camera. But I do like and audience and an instant reaction. There’s nothing like it! What do you think of reality TV stars being in panto? Is it annoying after all your training that they just seem to waltz in? Lucy Well - there’s a market. People want to go and see them and if it gets people into the theatre then OK I’m all for it. As long as people are willing to go and see them, then it’s supply and demand really. As for them going on to be actors, I’m not sure about that, but if people are talented and they can do it, who am I to say. I don’t want to upset anybody! I think you’re being very generous? I’m not sure I would be! Lucy
 | | Lisa waits to shoot Phil in EastEnders |
I don’t like it if they can’t do anything. If you’re being paid you’ve got to be able to give an audience a good time and their money’s worth. But they do get people into the theatre in the first place. That’s hard to do and people do want to see faces now. But reality TV people tend to come and go, unless they’ve got some talent. As long as people are getting their money’s worth I don’t mind. If not – then I’ve got something to say about it! Read our review of Aladdin using the link on the right.
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