Matt Baker is appearing in this year’s Panto at Richmond Theatre in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where the stage will be transformed into a circus. (Spoiler: he isn’t playing Goldilocks or a Bear…)
You played the role of Joey the Clown in 2019 at The Palladium, what drew you to doing it again?
MB: To be honest with you, I’m sort of attracted to anything that has a bit of acrobatics or sort of circus-based stuff thrown into it. It seemed to encompass everything that I love – it’s full of tradition anyway but it’s where tradition meets circus which is something that I’ve always been fascinated with. Plus, the challenge of learning to walk a tightrope, so why let it go to waste If it’s an opportunity to do it again? So when Michael Harrison, who’s the producer and who I’ve known for a very long time (we went to college together), asked me if I’d do it again I jumped at the chance.
Have you walked a tightrope before, was it just for Goldilocks?
Not before the Palladium version, no. Michael delivered one back then, so I said ‘Yeah, if I’m gonna do it again then can you send the tightrope back round just so I can get my eye in’ and sure enough he did. It’s only about a foot off the floor at home.
Is it just around the house?
MB: It’s in the garden! Perfect. And it’s obviously been such a beautiful summer that it’s ideal when you get a spare five minutes you jump on the tightrope.
Do you think you’ll be adding any new circus tricks to the show?
MB: Well, I’m three years older than last time we did this show and I’ll be 45 at Christmas so I don’t know, I haven’t sort of got back into the gymnastics side of things. I can’t make any promises but I’ll ride a unicycle, I’ll do a bit of juggling and I’ll walk the tightrope.
Not going to do any fire juggling, anything like that?
MB: Well, if you buy your tickets, you can come and see what we get up to and what I’ve learnt to do!
You’ve done stage work before – pantomimes and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – what was it like going from TV to stage?
MB: Well interestingly, I joined the cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at The London Palladium for a Blue Peter assignment, so I was kind of mixing the two together really, which I thoroughly enjoyed – and that kind of feeling when you go out on stage with a live audience. You know with television it’s just you, a crew and a small team really – producer, director and what have you – but [with theatre]you get that instant feedback from the audience, and everyone is experiencing the same thing together.
That’s the magic of theatre, that’s why you’ve got to go and experience it. You take a theatre like Richmond Theatre and it is so beautiful and has so much tradition, and the place is steeped in it and you feel it when you’re there. There’s such a lovely ambience. It seems to me to be a very welcoming place and so I’m really excited for families to come together and enjoy the experience together. And we’ll all just be having fun – I think that’s what you get from panto.
I also love the fact that for many of the younger members of the audience it may be their first ever experience of the theatre and to have that kind of camaraderie and connection with the people that are up on stage and everything that panto brings, all the booing and cheering and all of that fun stuff – what a great experience for your first time in the theatre. I’m just looking forward to feeling that again.
Did you grow up going to the theatre?
MB: Yes, we are a traditional family when it comes to Christmas and pantomime’s always been part of it. Certainly, with my children as well if I’m not in them then we will go and see friends and colleagues in them. My family has grown up with that.
What are you most looking forward to being at Richmond?
MB: It’s a beautiful place anyway so at Christmas it will feel incredibly magical actually, and I’m just looking forward to feeling what I felt last time. It’s a wonderful cast we’re working with. Fun times ahead. Bring it on!