Paul Hartley talks to Viv Hardwick about the challenges of creating a record-breaking panto at Durham

EVEN with the assistance of two-year-old daughter Willow, Paul Hartley is loud and clear about his record-breaking challenges entering a 14th year in panto at Durham Gala Theatre.

"I only originally came down to take one job and have stayed for 14 years. I was originally working with a woman who now runs the Gala's theatre stage school, Kate Sorahan. She was coming to audition and asked if I fancied coming along. I had the afternoon off and, unfortunately, she didn't get a role – although she's very successful at the Gala – and I did. I got the smallest of roles and was kept on," says Newcastle-born Hartley.

Now, as co-writer, director and star alongside Washington's highly-regarded all-rounder Neil Armstrong, Hartley has reached the point where this year's Jack and the Beanstalk is already threatening to out-sell last year's Cinderella and he can bring one of his two children, five-year-old Isla, on stage to take the final curtain call.

"Neil and I took over writing and directing duties last year and we smashed all box office records and created something quite special. We changed the story a little bit last year and filled some of the black holes we thought were in there. Hopefully, we can do something similar with Jack and the Beanstalk.

This time we have to persuade the audience that there is a giant lurking somewhere around. We'll be using the magic of lights and some papier mache and a well-recorded booming voice. We still haven't decided who is going to do the voice. It's going to be one of the cast members who is off-stage, but we're going to decide that on our 'play day' where we get all the toys out and have the place to ourselves. Then we try things and experiment, which is testament to the Gala because it gives us that time to get things right and supports us as much as we need. A lot of faith has been put in us by gala boss Robin Byers, who took a chance on us," says Hartley.

In addition to his comedy antics as Silly Simon, brother to Jack (Gateshead's Jamie Brown), Hartley knows that Durham has the advantage of regularly casting Armstrong as the baddie. This year he'll be evil wizard Fleshcreep. "He is such a good baddie. I absolutely love working with Neil. This is our eight or ninth year together and I don't think we've ever disagreed with each other, not even the odd cross word. It's very strange because we'll come to things at exactly the same viewpoint and we both know what we want and what is the right thing to do at a certain time. We agree and it works very well. I love the way he plays the baddie and we share a dressing room and end up writing the following year's pantomime while talking about performing this year's. We jot down ideas and when the show closes in January we'll get together and start putting the next one together," he says.

Hartley admits that the pair have already got a show in mind for 2017 and wonders why they're keen on the next one when they haven't got the current production up and running.

"It sounds crazy, but people ask me all the time, 'When will you start rehearsing?' and I'll reply that it will be in November. They always think that we start work in July. It only takes a few weeks to rehearse, but it does take a few months to prepare. It's all about the preparation. It's nice to have broken the record last year, but now we realise that we're under pressure to break it again. I think we might be on target. We've been told we've already sold 23,000 tickets and there are 7,000 to sell to reach capacity. I think 2,000 went before we closed last year's show. We have seen people come out of the auditorium and walk around to the box office and say, 'I'll have the same seats this time next year'. So, a lot is about getting a following for our pantos."

Hartley was told at drama school that the panto profits usually finance a theatre for the rest of the year. "To be honest, I never really believed it and then I got involved and could see how it happens. When you do other shows throughout the year that are full of artistic merit and very worthy, you don't see the full houses and you could get a bit despondent. But then you're rammed every night for pantomime and now I never become complacent. You don't expect one and you're always grateful when every seat is sold. I absolutely love it."

Comedy targets for the bottom of the beanstalk are likely to include the Brexit agonising and Hartley confesses that Spennymoor comes in for bit of ribbing. "It's a place that lends itself to comedy and can take it. Spennymoor has a lot going for it and everyone seems to know the place and it's quite a funny word. We may have gone over the top this year," says the performer who admits that his wife comes from the town and they live just outside in Kirk Merrington.

Hartley, from Killingworth, started out in old-style school touring theatre rep, but bides his time between panto performances with corporate presentations and also gives training sessions around the world. "I'll go to Indonesia for two days and come straight home again. I've also spent a lot of time in China teaching people to interact better with each other. In one case a company had experienced fatalities and the bosses, supervisors and managers didn't know how to intervene when health and safety was breaking down. We gave them the skills and strategies to do this."

Isla came home with a letter from school recently asking if she would like to attend the Gala Theatre pantomime. "There was also a request for parents to come along and help out. I thought to myself, 'I'm going to be a bit busy that day'."

  • Jack and the Beanstalk, Durham Gala Theatre, Thursday, November 24, to Saturday, January 7. Box office: 03000-266-600 or galadurham.co.uk