At the Opera House last Christmas, Jason Manford made his pantomime debut in the villainously camp role of Captain Hook alongside the likes of Britain's Got Talent finalist Ben Nickless and West End star Samara Casteallo.
What had originally been envisioned as a one-and-done role for Salford comedian Jason, he has decided to return once again to the Opera House pantomime after admitting to having so much fun last year. This time round, though, Jason is taking on the titular role in Jack and the Beanstalk.
Running from December 2 to 31, the show will see Jason reunited with Ben and Samara again as they take on the roles of Silly Simon and the Spirit of the Beans (a legitimate character, we are ensured), as they are joined by Myra DuBois as the Giant’s wife Mrs Blunderbore and Emma Williams as Princess Jill.
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“We had such a great time last year,” Jason tells the M.E.N. “All the way through, I was saying ‘this is wonderful but I’m not doing panto again next year because it’s too difficult’ but then when I found out Ben was doing it. So, I thought, go on then, if Ben’s doing it.”
And it’s that dynamic that Jason and Ben are excited to bring back to the stage after becoming so popular with audiences last year - swapping villainous sidekicks for twin brothers this year.
“One of the most important things for me, as a performer, is making sure the duo with Ben still works,” Jason explains. “We thought about a lot of duos - Cannon and Ball, Morecambe and Wise, Ant and Dec - and that has all fallen quite nicely into what we do. I’m looking forward to it all coming alive in front of the audience.”
Jason says he himself is a regular visitor to the panto with his family - pointing out The Plaza in Stockport as a popular haunt for them at Christmas time - and says he appreciates the role he has to play in what is always a special experience for people.
“What’s important to me about pantomime is that it is often a lot of people’s first experience of going to the theatre - especially young people,” Jason says. “So being part of a Christmas tradition is very special to me.
“And it’s also great to be here in Manchester and so close to my family at such a special time. There are lots of selling points for me!”
The show will also include a number of relaxed performances, accommodating to people who may often find the theatre setting overwhelming at times. It will include softer lighting, no pyrotechnics and allow people to come and go as they please.
“We want people to just come along and have fun,” Jason says. “It’s just a silly show. What’s lovely about it is that it is for everybody, it’s for the whole family. Everyone who saw it last year can come again with absolute confidence.”
And following the panto, Jason says he will have a busy year ahead of him as he prepares for his ‘A Manford All Seasons’ stand-up show. Whilst it kicks off later next year, he will head to Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena in October 2025. The announcement of the tour earlier this month made him the first comedian confirmed to be performing at the Manchester venue.
“I’m really excited about being the first comic announced for Co-Op Live,” he explains. “It’s always great to be a part of such a huge, humongous thing in Manchester and it’s going to be something special. Once Panto is out of the way, I’m going to spend basically all of next year getting the show ready.”
Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Opera House from December 2 to December 31. Tickets from £13 here.
