A Beauty of a Cast for the Adam Smith Panto

This year’s pantomime at The Adam Smith sees a variety of new faces and old in the magical tale of Beauty and the Beast.  Greg Powrie returns to play Dame following on from his 2016 appearance as Ugly Sister in Cinderella with Kim Shepherd as The Enchantress and Colin Little as Beast/Prince. Jillian Cunningham takes on the role of Belle, Adrian MacDonald will play the hilarious Cameron McKlinkie, David Rankine will be playing the odious Balloch Bennochy and James Barrie will be playing Beauty’s Father, Hugh.

Greg is delighted to be spending the festive season at the Adam Smith once more. “Appearing at The Adam Smith is something of a homecoming. Thirty-eight years ago I appeared in a Scottish Youth Theatre production at the Adam Smith, called What A Way to Run a Revolution; it was my first real taste of theatre, a fantastic production, and an experience I never looked back from. The rehearsals for the 2016 production of Cinderella took place in exactly the same room, and even after all that time there was something reassuringly familiar about the building. Secondly, and more importantly were the audiences as they took us to their hearts very quickly, and the response show after show was phenomenal! You are quite close to them at the Adam Smith, and I like that.”

Dame is one of the most iconic roles in pantomime and Greg says of playing it “I think there is a curious amnesia that comes with playing the Dame. It is utterly exhausting, and every year I sort of forget that! A Dame is only as good as his company, and I've been very lucky in that respect. I do enjoy the freedom that can go with the part, and probably enjoy it most when the unexpected happens, and that is a lot! Having license to interact with the audience is, of course, the best bit, but it always comes with a risk; you have to think fast and be ready to seize any opportunity!”

Colin Little is most used to playing the baddie and is looking forward to the challenge of a slightly different role this season. “Last year I was Abanazar at the Adam Smith and I do usually play the baddie which is great fun but this year I get a taste of both worlds in a way as the Prince, who is then turned in to the Beast, is not a particularly nice character at the start of the show but by the end he has been redeemed.”

Adrian MacDonald will be appearing in his first pantomime this year.  “I have appeared in quite a few children’s shows but I have never done panto before so I am very excited. It will also be my first time stepping out to the Adam Smith stage and I am really looking forward to starring in such a well-loved show and looking forward to having some fun and making some panto magic.”

Beauty and the Beast runs from Saturday 8 December 2018 until Saturday 5 January 2019.

To book tickets to please contact Adam Smith box office on 01592 583302 or visit www.onfife.com