Derry panto stars 'honoured' to be bringing the magic of Jack and the Beanstalk to the northwest

Dylan, who plays Jack and Aodhán, who plays Silly Billy, met with the ‘Journal’ after a sold-out matinee performance in the Forum. The pair say they have been loving every minute of the panto so far.

Dylan said: “The panto really makes Christmas special for a lot of people and when we’re sitting in the dressing room and can hear the crowd screaming and shouting before we even get anywhere near the stage, it's mad. We're doing 39 shows in December and there are days when you're absolutely exhausted, especially when you’ve done two shows the day before, but there’s a thousand people sitting there waiting to be entertained and that gives you the wee spark that you need as soon as you step on the stage.

"We've got a really strong, talented cast this year and everybody's pulling together. Any time somebody's dipping, there's always somebody there to help them up and just power on through it.”

Aodhán added: "If we have any worries or concerns, our stage manager Cody is always there to fix it. If your body is sore or tight, Lee Chapman is there to help us warm up and stretch every morning. You never feel underprepared to go on stage, even when you come into the building moaning and groaning, you’re still excited and ready to go on stage by the time you hear the audience.”

Audiences are always treated to special surprises in the Forum’s panto and the leading men say this year will be no different.

"We've got a lot of special effects and things this year that a lot of people wouldn't have seen before,” said Dylan. “And we've got a couple of new sketches that a lot of people who go to watch a lot of pantos may notice but we've done our own spin on it. For anybody who hasn't seen the Derry panto, it'll be a whole new thing for them which is so exciting.”

“I just love magic of all the song and dance,” said Aodhán. “For a lot of the children coming to the matinees, it is their first time ever seeing panto and they are in for a treat. They’re watching something they'd normally see on TV in real life, they can literally touch it. That’s what panto is all about – giving children that magical Christmas experience. At the end of the show, we all come running through the auditorium and you can see the wee faces lighting up, they’re literally jumping over each other and reaching out to touch us. It’s brilliant.”

Dylan and Aodhán have bright futures ahead of them, with both Derry men preparing for big moves in their careers next year. Dylan, who is also a singer, will be performing with the Ulster Orchestra and Lush Classical in Botanic Gardens and the SSE Arena in Belfast while Aodhán has recently finished production on a TV show which will be on Sky next year.

In terms of the Christmas panto though, Aodhán is urging people to buy their tickets soon. “You’ll not be disappointed at the panto,” he said. “You’re guaranteed a laugh. It's a magical experience for kids and adults. There’s so many jokes in there that are just for adults and go completely over the kids’ heads and it’s so funny hearing the kids laugh too pretending they get it.”

For more information on the Forum’s pantomime or to book tickets, visit https://www.millenniumforum.co.uk/shows/jack-the-beanstalk/