Matt Slack talks about starring in Cinderella at the Birmingham Hippodrome

The curtain went up on Tuesday and the show will continue until January 28.

Soul-diva Beverley Knight is making her pantomime debut in this year’s Hippodrome spectacular, alongside Strictly Come Dancing finalist Danny Mac, Birmingham panto-favourite Matt Slack, pop and television star Suzanne Shaw, comedy duo The Grumbleweeds, and the most faaaaabulous Ugly Sisters in show business, Ceri Dupree and Phil Randall.

It is being produced by Olivier-nominated pantomime producer Qdos Entertainment and will feature all of the ingredients of the perfect Hippodrome pantomime: a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery and special effects, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses for all the family to enjoy.

Award-winning comic Matt Slack wrote most of the show and is thrilled that it’s proving to be a Christmas cracker.

“In my eyes, Birmingham has such a massive reputation for being the biggest panto in the land. It’s the flagship. Birmingham Hippodrome is always the one that people want to be at. I’m very, very fortunate to be coming back every year. This is my fifth year, it’s mad, I can’t believe it.

“It’s amazing mate. I can’t tell you the reaction I get when I come out. You get this wave of warmth and love from the audience. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s breathtaking. It makes me take a pause and take a deep breath. I get choked, genuinely, sincerely. It’s like, wow, this is mad.

“I do a bit of telly but the crowd know me from my hard work here. I give them everything I can. They come back for it. They’re not just coming back to see me. It’s Beverley Knight, Danny Mac, Suzanne Shaw. It’s a breath of fresh air.”

The show takes a lot of hard work and Slack has to come up with new stuff every time. On occasion, it can be painful to devise new routines, but he sticks at it and makes sure it works. Playing alongside new stars is also a thrill – particularly when they’re as talented as Beverley Knight.

“Beverley is great. I did say, when I met her, ‘How’s the pips?’ But that’s the wrong Knight. Sorry. She didn’t laugh either.

“But Beverley is up for a laugh. She’s never done a panto before. I told her not to worry. Steve McFadden had the same worries last year and I told him to forget about it. Panto is serious business. You have to be clean and precise. It’s not just a jolly. But I’ve told Beverley to just have fun. She will, we’ll take to it. We’re fine.”

Matt says the cast tend to stick to the script and only ever go off piste when the show is up and running. He has to keep his stamina throughout the run because there are so many shows and it’s such a physical job. “I try and be disciplined and in the build up to it I have to keep fit. I get to the gym and work out. It’s exhausting, especially with a physical role like mine when I’m jumping around. It’s two shows a day, then I have to unwind. But every night is a school night and I take it seriously.”

Matt views Birmingham as a second home because he’s spent the past five Christmases in the city. “I’ve just done Doctors and the cast and crew knew me from panto. It’s fabulous. I love by the canal, through The Mailbox. I love the mixture and I love the people. They’re down to earth, just friendly, everyone’s happy, no matter what’s going on. There’s something about the Midlands where everyone has a smile and a bit of joy. I’m not knocking London or anywhere else. But there’s a difference. There’s just a warmth that you don’t get elsewhere.

“When I used to do the clubs and come up then I’d notice it then. They were a joy. It wasn’t like someone wanting to be pleased. They love to have a laugh round here. When you get that as a performer, it’s all the better. You get the odd long face. But people basically love it.”

This year’s show is being made by Qdos, which makes the biggest pantomimes in the world. Matt says the production is West End-worthy and people can expect a big production with a massive budget.

“This year is no exception. I think it will be a little different because there’s no 3D. We’ve done that. This show is traditional. It’s what people like. It’s very funny and a bit naughty.”