Berwick Kaler
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Berwick Kaler (born 1947) is a British actor most famous for playing the dame in the York Theatre Royal's annual pantomime, which he also writes and directs. He has been awarded the freedom of the city.
In 2002, Berwick Kaler received an honorary degree from the University of York. He was accompanied at the degree ceremony by rock singer Suzi Quatro.
The 2006-07 pantomime, Cinderella, will be his 28th at the Theatre Royal.
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[edit] Early years and TV work
Having grown up in "the slums of Sunderland", Kaler left school at 15 to seek success on the London stage. He got taken on at Dreamland in Margate to learn his trade. [1]
He has had TV roles in such shows as The New Statesman, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Spender as well as steady theatre work. However, it is his role in the York pantomime that has won him the most acclaim.
[edit] The York Panto
Many pantomimes in recent years have relied heavily on celebrity guest stars (often soap stars or comedians attempting to revive a flagging career) and risque humour. Kaler's pantos reject this ("I want everyone to laugh at the same joke," he says) [2] and hark back to a more traditional form of pantomime. Instead of guest stars, a regular cast of actors has been assembled who return (nearly) every year:
- Berwick Kaler has played the dame since 1978 - though he played an Ugly Sister in his first York panto (Cinderella) in 1977, and took two years off early on to appear in a West End play.
- Martin Barrass plays the dame's son (since 1985)
- David Leonard plays the villain (also since 1985; took a year out in the nineties)
- Suzy Cooper plays the Principal Girl, or occasionally the Principal Boy (since 1993, except the 2000-01 season)
- Joanne Heywood (seven pantos between 1985 and 2004) and Juliet Howland (six between 1995 and 2000) have each made multiple appearances as Principal Boy.
- There are normally one or two other characters, plus six chorus members/dancers (three women and three men). Many of the actors filling these roles have also made return appearances. Notable among them are Richard Kay (four pantomimes between 1999 and 2004) and Kaler's own nephew Vincent Gray whose roles have increased in size since his first panto in 2002-03.
[edit] A Postmodern Pantomime?
While in some ways a 'traditional' pantomime, the York production is in some ways very up-to-date, and Kaler has been credited with reviving and reinventing the genre. While nominally based around the established panto stories such as Cinderella, the plots are often almost non-existent, and Kaler's ad-libbing has been known to hold scenes up for several minutes.
Full use is made of modern technology. There is usually a pre-recorded video sequence that complements the action in some way. In The Lad Aladdin (2006) it took the form of a prologue featuring Jimmy Nail as a fortune teller; in Mother Goose (2004) there was a high speed chase around York; for Jack and the Beanstalk (2003) it employed the use of 3D glasses while in Dick Whittington (2001) it was a dream sequence. There is also generally a brief segment featuring UV light and puppets.
Other running themes include:
- A spectacular entrance from the dame in a ridiculous costume.
- Kaler's catchphrases "Me babbies, me bairns!" and "I've been Humiliated!", delivered in his distinctive Mackem accent.
- A slapstick scene between Kaler and Barrass involving a water tank.
- Kaler's wig slipping off to reveal his distinctive bald pate.
- A singalong with Kaler and Barrass and the audience. Letters from the audience are also read out in this segment, and Wagon Wheels and Newcastle Brown Ale are distributed.
[edit] Recent Kaler Pantomimes
| Year | Panto | Dame (Kaler) | Dame's son (Barrass) | Villain (Leonard) | Principal Boy | Principal Girl | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cinderella (announced) | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2006 | The Lad Aladdin | Widow Twankey | Wishee Washee | Abanazar | Suzy Cooper (Aladdin) | Elianne Byrne (Princess Su Doku) | |
| 2005 | Sleeping Beauty | The Queen Vic | Prince Albert* | Evil Edna | Lucy Hunter-James (Watson) | Suzy Cooper (Beauty) | *Barrass played the dame's husband rather than his usual role as son. |
| 2004 | Mother Goose's Silver Jubilee | Mother Goose | Jack | D-Man | Joanne Heywood (Squire Knavesmire) | Suzy Cooper (Kelly) | Kaler's 25th York pantomime |
| 2003 | Babbies in the Wood | Ariadne Oddbod | Noddy Oddbod | Sheriff of Rottingham | Joanne Heywood (Robin Hood) | Suzy Cooper (Marian Oddbod) | |
| 2002 | Jack & the Beanstalk | Fanny Shufflebottom | Willy Shufflebottom | Egostein | Joanne Heywood (Jack Shufflebottom) | Suzy Cooper (Jill) | |
| 2001 | Dick Whittington | Cissy Sessay | Stanley Sessay | Ratemon | Joanne Heywood (Dick Whittington) | Deborah Winn (Alice)** | **Suzy Cooper was absent this year. |
| 2000 | Old Mother Milly | Milly Hinnyhum | Hillary Hinnyhum | Bugman | Juliet Howland (Obiokidoki) | Suzy Cooper (Valerie Fitzackerley) | A new pantomime plot based around the millennium. |
| 1999 | Beauty & the Beast | Dilly Dumdum | Dickie Dumdum | Wolfgang Amalieus | Juliet Howland (Prince Percy) | Suzy Cooper (Beauty) | |
| 1998 | Aladdin | Widow Twankey | Wishee Washee | Abanazar | Suzy Cooper (Aladdin) | Juliet Howland (Princess Peekaboo) |
[edit] External links
- Review in The Stage of The Lad Aladdin [3]
- 2004 interview with Kaler in the Independent.
- 2005 interview with Kaler in the Daily Telegraph.
- Berwick Kaler at the Internet Movie Database [4]
