Panto Cast under the Spotlight: Gleanne Purcell Brown

Coming out of our magical pantomime lamp is Gleanne Purcell Brown, who recently performed in The Producers (Royal Exchange Theatre) and the UK tour of Spamalot, and will be one of the ensemble performers in Aladdin. We caught up with her as she tells us why she loves performing in pantomime.

Have you been in a pantomime before? What is your favourite thing about performing in one?
Yes, this will be my second panto. My first pantomime was Sleeping Beauty at the Hackney Empire. My favourite thing about performing in panto is just the utter fun you have on stage and seeing all the joy on the audiences faces - it makes Christmas time that extra bit special.

Do you have any memories of being taken to see pantomimes as a child?
I don't recall seeing panto when I was a child. Because of this, I was absolutely bamboozled in awe and teary eyed when stepping onto the stage for the first time at Hackney Empire. It was absolutely magical. I'll definitely take my children to pantos when they're growing up, as it's where the magic begins.

What have you been doing this year to keep yourself creative? Have you taken up any new hobbies?
What a crazy year it has been! But it has allowed for some more creative time, for skills old and new. I picked my instruments back up which has been nice getting into those again, and have attempted some writing!

Do you have any Christmas traditions?
I don't really have many Christmas traditions as each year is very different depending on which side of the family I spend it with. One thing that never changes though, is eating until I can't move!

What is your favourite Christmas song?
It's gotta be the classic All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey.

Thanks Gleanne, we believe a pantomime is where the magic begins too!

Rub that lamp, make all your wishes come true and join us on a carpet ride adventure like no other in this year's socially distanced pantomime adventure. Find out more