‘We have the ultimate Dame!’: King’s Head boss on new digs, nurturing talent, and its first full-blown panto
King’s Head’s acting chief executive, Sofi Berenger. Photograph: King’s Head Theatre
The King’s Head Theatre is taking advantage of its new purpose-built venue to put on its first full-fledged pantomime, written and directed by Andrew Pollard.
Working with Elphin Productions and Little Angel Theatre, the crew at the Upper Street space have drawn together an all-star cast, including Drag Race UK Star Ella Vaday (Nick Collier), and ITV’s Mamma Mia: I have a Dream contestant Maddy Erzan-Essien as Cinderella.
Dame Judi Dench will even feature aurally as narrator.
The Hackney Citizen chatted with acting CEO Sofi Berenger about how the theatre has developed and the idea behind the panto.
HC: The King’s Head has been at its new venue for nearly a year now. What has 2024 been like for the theatre? Has the new auditorium lived up to expectations?
SB: It’s been a rollercoaster, and an incredible experience for us to be able to entirely play and discover what works, what doesn’t, what the space is capable of, who we are now, and who we can become.
There’s a lot of learning – and the best thing is, there’s a lot of flexibility in the building. Everything is flexible: the bars, the layout of the front of house areas, the auditorium, our cabaret venue… so it’s been really fun to move things about and go, ‘How does it improve or change people’s experiences if we do this, both artistically and practically?’
What they don’t tell you is that when the contractors leave, the work is far from over. We still have unpacked boxes in the offices, folding tables in dressing rooms, we haven’t been able to start work on our outdoor community courtyard… there’s always more to be done.
But we made sure of two things from the off: that we have loads of toilets so there is never a queue, and that technically and practically the auditorium can far exceed expectations. And I think we’ve done that: there is not much our auditorium can’t do.
In saying that, we know we could use some new seats, so it’s not there yet, but we’re launching a giving campaign for our first birthday on the 5 December to try and get some new state-of-the-art comfy seats from the company who do Sydney Opera House, Roundhouse and the Royal Albert Hall.
The cast of Cinderella. Image: courtesy: ANRPR / King’s Head Theatre
HC: How has this change of location affected what the theatre has been able to do?
SB: Well, for starters – actually put on a family pantomime properly!
We used to do boutique pantos at the pub theatre, but because we were behind a pub, families and kids had to wait outside in the cold until we opened the doors and then run in – they couldn’t sit around in the pub because of licensing. Now, we have plenty of space for the kids and for buggies, toilets and even baby changing tables.
We’re also working with loads of incredible artists we couldn’t at the pub theatre. King’s Head Theatre was always a breeding ground for new talent – it discovered the likes of Hugh Grant, Victoria Wood, and Steven Berkoff – and we do still work with artists at the start of their careers.
But now, we can work with artists throughout their careers – for example, we did a reading of a new Berkoff, and staged a new play from Jonathan Maitland. We’ve had stars like Rob Madge, Kerry Ellis, and had Heartstopper’s Cormac Hyde-Corrin make his stage debut.
And just look at the star-studded panto line-up, led by Drag Race UK’s Ella Vaday.
For the adults-only performances we have West End stars like Cassidy Janson, Danielle Steers, John Owen-Jones and Christina Bianco, and drag legends Vinegar Strokes and Trevor Ashley.
HC: Why have you chosen to put on a pantomime this season?
SB: Pantomime is such an integral part of so many families’ Christmas traditions, and it was a big part of what King’s Head Theatre did for many years as well.
London has other pantomimes, all unique in their own way, but none in north London, and none which combine the rollicking, good traditional fun you remember growing up, but in a space that isn’t a big traditional theatre where you’re removed from the action.
Our space is more intimate: it’s on three sides, there is no fourth wall, no raised stages… that’s special.
HC: How did the partnership with the Little Angel Theatre come about?
SB: Samantha Lane (artistic director of Little Angel) and I had been speaking about ‘the right project’, we knew we wanted to make something together. We knew there would be something special in two local theatres teaming up for a show that is so for the community like this is.
But it had to be something neither King’s Head nor Little Angel could or would do by itself… and this was it!
Pantomime is the perfect combination of camp, funny, classic entertainment, and yet also so perfect for families, with lots of puppetry fun!
Drag Race UK star Ella Vaday. Photograph: courtesy ANRPR / King’s Head Theatre
HC: What will Cinderella offer that will make it stand out from other pantos?
SB: You can’t be in much safer pantomime hands than with Andrew Pollard, our writer and director. He’s panto royalty, who we’ve managed to coax up from south of the river.
He was writer, director and dame for Greenwich Theatre for 15 years, where he won a 2023 British Panto Award and two OFFIE awards.
We also have our own star-studded line-up with Ella Vaday as one of the ugly stepsisters and a whole host of guest stars, but with a price tag less than half that of the Palladium.
Plus, we have the ultimate Dame: Dame Judi Dench as the voice of the narrator!
Cinderella runs from 30 November 2024 until 5 January 2025 at King’s Head Theatre, 116 Upper Street, N1 1QN.