Meet the Cast of Theatre Royal’s Cinderella: Part 1
We catch up with Tyne Theatre panto regulars Charlie Richmond and Lewis Denny to find out a little more about the show
It wouldn’t be Christmas in Newcastle without catching a pantomime and Tyne Theatre & Opera House’s annual panto productions are legendary.
This year, they’re bringing the classic tale of Cinderella back to the stage (it was also the theatre’s 2018 pantomime!) and will once again be doing an adult-only version of the show after its popular debut last run.
To find out more about what to expect from this year’s show, we caught up with cast members and Tyne Theatre panto regulars Charlie Richmond (Buttons) and Lewis Denny (one half of the Ugly Sisters).
How long have you both been doing panto here and how excited are you to be returning for another year?
Charlie: We’re both very excited, aren’t we? This is my eighteenth year in pantomime here. Lew-Lew, how many for you?
Lewis: Eleven for me.
Charlie: Eleven years – so I’ve been here seven years longer than you! But we’re dead excited. I mean, from 1st September onwards, it’s Christmas for us. We’re going to put our Christmas decorations up, aren’t we? We love it!
Can you tell us a bit more about your characters? Will you be causing lots of trouble on stage?
Charlie: Well, you’re going to cause loads of trouble, aren’t you?
Lewis: Ah yes, me and Micky (aka Micky Cochrane, the other half of the Ugly Sisters). It’s the first time for me playing an evil part. I’m going to have a lot of fun with it and we’ve kind of said that out of the two sisters, there should be a slightly nicer one and I think that’s the route I’m kind of going to go down – but still be evil when I’m required to!
Charlie: As Buttons, I’m Cinderella’s best friend so I try to look after and protect her. And I’m sort of the connection between the audience and the pantomime, so I’ll break down that fourth wall and make sure that they’re involved all the way. When they’re shouting, cheering, there’s jokes to be told, when we’ve got to boo and when we’re going to save the day at the end – that’s my job. So, it’s going to be absolute chaos from start to finish, isn’t it?
Lewis: And we can’t wait!
Charlie: We cannot wait!
Tell us a bit more about the adult version of Cinderella you’re doing?
Charlie: It’s very rude, isn’t it?
Lewis: Very rude!
Charlie: It’s adult-only, strictly over 18 and also if you’re easily offended, don’t come! We had some people that came last year and thought it was just for adults with no children in the audience, but it was the same version of the show. You can imagine the shock and surprise when we started some of the vulgarity – they just got up and walked out! They didn’t bother saying anything or asking for a refund because it was their own fault – it was 18 only, XXX-rated!
With pantomime, we pride ourselves on telling a nice family-friendly story. We push the envelope and use all the double entendre but whenever it’s vulgar, it’s nice and clean and family-friendly but for the adult show, we could push the envelope much further. In fact, we opened the envelope, didn’t we?
Lewis: We really did! They didn’t even ask us what we were going to do. We did have a little, little rehearsal but they just let us do what we wanted and said “save it for the night”… and it was wild!
Charlie: It was chaos! And, like I say, if you’re easily offended, it’s not for you. But, if you do like to come down as an adult and let your hair down with your friends, have a few drinks and come out for a raucous night, it’s still the same story of Cinderella. It’ll still have the Ugly Sisters and Buttons, but it’ll be full of adult content and adult jokes and props. How many props, Lewis?
Lewis: So many props! The shows are happening on 2nd, 3rd and 4th January.
Charlie: Three nights, because last year we sold out two nights and because of popular demand, we’ve had to add another one. I’m always excited for panto, but secretly I’m even more excited for the adult version!
If you could give people one reason to come and see Cinderella, what would it be?
Charlie: Cinderella has got to be the most magical pantomime story of them all. It just sums up Christmas, doesn’t it? What a fantastic way to come out with your family into a beautiful 150-year-old theatre and watch all of the spectacle that’s going to go on. Real life magic is going to happen in here!
Lewis: We can’t wait!
Charlie: Magic – and that’s what we want people to take away from it. We want to blow their socks off and want the audience to go away thinking, how did that happen? How did the pumpkin and the little white mice turn into a horse? Last time we did Cinderella, it blew peoples’ minds and that’s why people should come see it – just for the magic.
Lewis: And the cast are brilliant as well. We’ve met the cast and they’re great. We’ve all worked with them separately, but as a group collectively some of us haven’t worked together and it’s going to be great!
Charlie: It’s going to be so good. The costumes, the songs, the cast, the jokes. It’s going to be amazing.
Could you describe Cinderella in three words?
Lewis: Magical.
Charlie: Hilarious.
Lewis: Spectacular.
Charlie: There you go: magical, hilarious, spectacular.
Lewis: And naughty in January – that’s four!
Charlie: Yeah, the adult show!
Pantomimes are a quintessential part of Christmas and Cinderella certainly sounds like one not to be missed. And, if you’d like to find out even more about this year’s panto, read our interview with fellow cast members Twist and Pulse with Meet the Cast of Theatre Royal’s Cinderella: Part 2.
Cinderella runs from Friday 5th December 2025 to Sunday 4th January 2026 with adult panto performances happening on the evenings of 2nd, 3rd and 4th January. For more info and to book tickets visit the Tyne Theatre & Opera House website.
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