Besides Father Christmas, nobody has brought more festive joy to Harrogate this century than Tim Stedman.
This week’s opening of Aladdin marked the start of Tim’s 22nd pantomime season at Harrogate Theatre.
The success of the production is down to the quality of acting and scripts that combine slapstick, double-entendres and audience participation — but it just wouldn’t be the same without Tim.
A youthful 52, he says he is happy to keep playing the fool as long “as long as i can still throw my body on the floor”.
Born in Chester, to a mother from Leeds, he appeared in panto in Hornchurch before getting his chance in Harrogate.
He lives in Newbury and for 10 months of the year is, in his own words, a “jobbing actor” until he heads north in November.
Tim as Wishee Washee. Pic: Karl Andre
Showbiz isn’t all it’s cracked up to be though. He rents a room in a family house in Harrogate and, with two performances most days, gets little spare time. He says:
“The pantomime is probably the hardest job in acting. We are acting, singing and dancing — and we are not all graced with great amounts of talent in all three — and we are working against a wall of noise. Besides that we are trying to get through a plot and a script and a story.”
But he loves the Harrogate panto as much as the town loves him. What’s the secret to the show’s success?
“I wouldn’t come back unless it was special. The pantomime here has style. First and foremost there is always a good story. If the story didn’t work we wouldn’t be able to keep the kids interested.
“The theatre also employs real actors. I’ve been to so many pantomimes where there might be a celebrity and it isn’t the same.”
Some of the ingredients — an audience singalong, a skit that involves running around the venue and Tim’s gentle humiliation of a man in the front row — are standard ingredients. How does he find his victims?
“If they look normal, that’s why I pick them.”
Favourite character to play
His first Harrogate pantomime was Sleeping Beauty. His favourite character to play is Buttons; this year he is Wishee Washee in Aladdin, which runs until January 15.
Away from the theatre, he likes to visit Fountains Abbey near Ripon and takes his in-laws to Bettys in Harrogate when they visit.
He looks different out of costume and generally moves around town unnoticed but sometimes gets recognised, usually by children.
Read more:
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- ‘Irreplaceable’ Harrogate Theatre pantomime director Phil Lowe dies
One of his favourite pantos was when his wife worked backstage and they both stayed in Harrogate. They now have three children and she stays home.
A shadow hung over last year’s show when Phil Lowe, who had directed and co-written the panto since 2007, died suddenly at the age of 44. A fundraising page has been set up in his memory.
Tim outside the theatre’s Circle Bar.
There are no pantos on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day so Tim will drive home to Newbury on Christmas Eve before heading back to Harrogate on Christmas Day night, and do similar at New Year.
It’s a gruelling schedule at the time of year when most people relax. A keen football fan and Liverpool supporter, he went on stage last night just as England were kicking off in the World Cup. Thankfully, he doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon.
“I do get a little bit typecast. You go to drama school and want to do all these big roles but I guess I’m known for being the silly man, the fool. But that’s OK.”
Tickets for Aladdin are available here.
