This year’s Two Brewers panto is once again brought to us by the award-winning Two Box Productions, who brought Harry Poppers to Clapham last Christmas. This year they have embraced winter in all its glory with Dame of Thrones. Dave Cross spoke to Lawrence Bolton from Two Box, who is also playing the Mother of Dragons, about this most magical show.
Hi Lawrence, so Dame of Thrones.. we’re guessing this is inspired by a certain TV show…
That’s right, it’s a serious drama based on ITV’s Broadchurch. For real though, our panto this year is a camp musical extravaganza based on the world of Game of Thrones.
What’s your story?
It’s Christmas in the Seven Queendoms, which means winter has finally come for our intrepid band of heroes. The Red Priestess, Melissandre, leads us through this mystical world of magic, dragons and camp musical numbers. We join our hero, Jon Snow, and his siblings as he joins forces with Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryan, first of her name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Boyz Award winner and Mother of Dragons. Their goal is to get the evil Queen Cersei off the throne in order to save the Seven Queendoms from her wrath! It seems that everybody expects Jon to become King and marry the beautiful Daenerys because she’s real queen material, but she is not exactly his type… Will Jon find his true love? Will Cersei continue her reign of evil? Will Melissandre work out which one of these characters is the Prince Who Was Promised? Probably. But you’ll have to come and see the show to find out!
Can you talk us through the cast and who they are playing?
Dixie Delight, of The Vixens, narrates the show as our Red Priestess, Melissandre. Our wonderful villainess, Queen Cersei, is portrayed in all her delicious evil by seasoned pro Rose Garden. The scrappy and gutsy, Arya Stark, is portrayed by Lauren Maddie (The Effect, Memory of Water, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Jax Braithwaite (Harry Poppers & the Deathly Swallows, Saucy Jack & the Space Vixens) is the hilarious and wise, Tyrion. And I play a fairly ethnically ambiguous version of Daenerys Targaryan, who sounds somewhere between Paris Hilton and Regina George.
Will we see dragons on stage?
You will see exactly what would have happened on Game of Thrones… if it had been made before computers existed on a budget provided by Jimmy Smith. Just kidding. We don’t have a budget.
And, I have to ask… everyone’s favourite thing from GOT Season 7… Jon Snow’s arse?
That was also Kevin Spacey’s favourite thing from Season 7. Just kidding. Jon Snow is far too old for him… now.
What can you tell us about the songs in Dame of Thrones?
In true Two Box style, we’re mixing genres all over the place so there’s something for everyone. You can expect a bit of Sweeney Todd, Queen, Blondie, Katy Perry and even a cheeky bit of Eminem. We’ve got parodies of many of your favourite songs. Trust and believe that rewriting Sondeheim lyrics is not an easy task, but it’s definitely worth it. You know what we’re like, we love a good six-part harmony.
Two Box have done Harry Potter and now Game of Thrones… what’s next? Should Marvel or Star Wars be scared?
Be afraid. Be very afraid. We could be coming for any popular film or TV programme at any time. After the success of Rocky Horror and Golden Girls, I think we’ve found our pop culture niche. We’ll definitely be adapting some more of your favourite television show and films into fabulous musicals. So make sure you keep up-to-date with all our camp nonsense at our website and on that there social media search from Two Box Productions.
Dame of Thrones from Wednesday 13 December at the Two Brewers, 114 Clapham High Street, SW4
Tickets from www.twoboxproductions.co.uk
Photos by chrisjepson.com
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