Panto Cast under the Spotlight: Susan Harrison
Next up under our panto spotlight is Susan Harrison, who is a member of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, and is the cheeky and lovable Wishee Washee in Aladdin. She tells us all about the creative things she's been up to this year!
Have you been in a pantomime before? What is your favourite thing about performing in one?
Yes. At Dundee Rep Theatre I played the role of Puss, in Puss in Boots, so it seems only fitting that I’m now playing every cat's arch rival: a dog.
The thing I love most about pantomime is the interaction with the audience and I love how democratic it is too. It’s cheeky, it’s fun and people of all ages can come and watch it.
Do you have any memories of being taken to see pantomimes as a child?
I remember going to see Pinocchio once as a child for my birthday in a village hall. We were the only people who’d turned up so the actors did it just for us. For the cast it must have felt a bit underwhelming but for us it felt like a treat!
What have you been doing this year to keep yourself creative?
I’ve been filming sketches. It’s kept me sane and given me a way to justify watching reality TV, so that I can spoof it. Yep. I watch Celebs Go Dating purely for research, you understand...
Have you taken up any new hobbies?
Cycling. I rescued the bike I used to ride when I was 15. Needless to say I did not need to adjust the handlebars.
Do you have any Christmas traditions?
When I was little I used to get in to my sister’s bed in the morning on Christmas Day so that we could open our stockings together. It felt so exciting even when we got to the end of it and pulled out the inevitable satsuma!
What is your favourite Christmas song?
All I Want For Christmas is Yoooooou. You can’t beat a bit of Mariah Carey.
Thanks Susan, audiences of our pantomimes will know we love a bit of Mariah, 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
