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Welcome to Jeff’s pantomime page, (oh yes it is)! A great British tradition, Jeff’s panto performances go back to his early career. His earliest archived role came as the Genie of the Ring in Aladdin at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. He followed this with numerous portrayals of comedy characterisations such as Idle Jack in Dick Whittington, Billy Goose in Mother Goose, Simple Simon in Jack and the Beanstalk, Muddles in Babes in the Wood and Mr Policeman and Carpenter in Pinocchio opposite Clive Dunn.
In 1980, by contrast, Jeff was cast as the evil King Rat in Dick Whittington to Ken Dodd’s Idle Jack but his strong comedy links saw him return in the main, to the comic roles for several years. In 1979 Jeff was booked to play Jack Boot in a now rarely seen panto production of Robinson Crusoe. He also was cover for star of the show Frankie Howerd as Billy Crusoe. The show was to prove a major turning point in Jeff’s career when he was called upon to take over from Howerd following a freak accident. The cast included Carry On legend Bernard Bresslaw, Tommy Trinder, Anita Harris and one of pantomime’s most renowned Dames, Jack Tripp as Mrs Crusoe.
Over the next few years, Jeff’s panto roles reflected his success in the golden age of comedy, often appearing with his colleagues from such shows as Hi de Hi but his earlier experiences of working with the likes of Jack Tripp and Terry Scott in the role of Dame plus the influences of Arthur Askey and Cyril Fletcher, had left him in no doubt that as soon as he was ‘old enough’, his panto future lay in that direction. The transition came in 1989.
Already contracted by E&B Triumph to appear as Muddles in Sleeping Beauty alongside Hinge and Bracket at the Theatre Royal Plymouth, Jeff found himself at a party discussing the show with producer Paul Elliott. Elliott confessed he was finding it difficult to cast a Dame as the actors he had approached felt that the production already had two in the guises of Dame Hilda and Dr Evadne. This idea seemed somewhat ridiculous to Jeff as ‘The Dear Ladies’ as they were affectionately known were, to all intents and purposes just that, whereas a panto Dame was always ‘a bloke in a frock’. It was then he heard himself utter those three fateful words “I’ll do it”. The following week a letter arrived with a formal offer to play the role of Nurse and the die was cast. He has played Dame in every panto he has appeared in since and is now considered one of the top five Dames in the country.
In 1999 Judy joined Jeff in pantomime for the first time as the Fairy in Jack and the Beanstalk at Wolverhampton Grand. In recent years they have played Fairy and Dame together on a regular basis. Both admit that although it is not a criterion for them, panto companies have come to view them as something of a team these days. Something they are delighted about as it means they can spend all of Christmas together. In addition to his acting portrayals, Jeff also recently took on the role of director when he directed Aladdin at the Queens Theatre, Barnstable in 2005/06 and Dick Whittington at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro the following year.
So does he have any ambitions still to accomplish when it comes to this unique British theatrical genre? Oh yes he does! Last year (2008/09) saw Jeff’s 38th performance in a pantomime and his 20th as Dame. He would love to continue in the same vein for the foreseeable future or at least until he has fulfilled his wishes to play the Nurse in Babes in the Wood and the title role in Mother Goose, his two all time favourite Dames.
CV - Pantomime
TITLE
CHARACTER
DIRECTOR
VENUE
DATE
Dick Whittington
Felicity Fitzwarren
Jonathan Kiley
Hippodrome - Birmingham
2010
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trot
Mark Piper
Palace Theatre - Newark
2008
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trot
Keith Simmons
Assembly Rooms - Derby
2007
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Jeffrey Holland
Hall For Cornwall
2006
Aladdin
Widow Twankey
Jeffrey Holland
Queens Theatre - Barnstable
2005
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Peter Purves
Opera House - Manchester
2004
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Mitch Sebastian
Theatre Royal - Plymouth
2003
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Tudor Davies
Milton Keynes Theatre
2002
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trott
Martin Connor
Theatre Royal - Newcastle
2001
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
Theatre Royal - Newcastle
2000
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trott
Lisa Kent
Wolverhampton Grand
1999
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
Theatre Royal - Nottingham
1998
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
Wimbledon Theatre
1997
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
Theatre Royal - Plymouth
1996
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
New Victoria - Woking
1995
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Keith Simmons
Mayflower - Southampton
1994
Dick Whittington
Sarah The Cook
Carole Todd
Hippodrome - Birmingham
1993
Aladdin
Widow Twankey
Lyceum - Sheffield
1992
Aladdin
Widow Twankey
Hugh Wooldridge
New Theatre - Cardiff
1991
Aladdin
Widow Twankey
Peter Purves
Theatre Royal - Bath
1990
Sleeping Beauty
Nurse
Roger Redfarn
Theatre Royal - Plymouth
1989
Aladdin
Wishee Washee
Michael T Walker
Ashcroft - Croydon
1988
Aladdin
Wishee Washee
Roger Hannah
Richmond Theatre - London
1987
Aladdin
Wishee Washee
Derek Griffiths
Pavilion - Bournemouth
1986
Babes In The Wood
Good Robber
Paul Elliott
Concert Hall - Lewisham
1984
Dick Whittington
Captain’s Mate
Dick Hurran
Bristol - Hippodrome
1982
Babes In The Wood
Spike The Stupid
Roger Redfarn
Alexander Theatre - Birmingham
1981
Dick Whittington
King Rat
Roger Redfarn
Alexander Theatre - Birmingham
1980
Robinson Crusoe
Billy Crusoe / Jack
Roger Redfarn
Alexander Theatre - Birmingham
1979
Aladdin
Genie of the Lamp
Roger Redfarn
Alexander Theatre - Birmingham
1977
Mother Goose
Mr. Beerbarrel King
Roger Redfarn
Richmond - London
1974
Babes In The Wood
Muddles
Michael Ashton
Belgrade Theatre - Coventry
1973
Mother Goose
Billy Goose
Roger Redfarn
Belgrade Theatre - Coventry
1972
Jack & The Beanstalk
Simple Simon
Roger Redfarn
Belgrade Theatre - Coventry
1971
Dick Whittington
Idle Jack
Roger Redfarn
Belgrade Theatre - Coventry
1970
Aladdin
Widow Twankey
Nick Winston
The Royal & Derngate - Northampton
2011
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trot
Mark Piper
Palace Theatre - Redditch
2009
For more details visit the Panto Galleries
Pinocchio
Various
Warren Jenkins
Belgrade Theatre - Coventry
1969
Aladdin
Genie Of The Ring
Warren Jenkins
Rep Production
1968
Pinocchio
Policeman/Carpenter
Roger Redfarn
Theatre Royal - Brighton
1976
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trot
Jonathan Kiley
Mayflower Theatre - Southampton
2012
Robin Hood
Nurse Tilly Tuck
Tudor Davies
Theatre Royal - Plymouth
2013
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dame Trott
Ken Alexander
Theatre Royal - Plymouth
2014
Robin Hood
Nurse Nancy
Nick Winston
Mayflower Theatre - Southampton
2016