Me and Peter Pan

WHILE Susan Hall a m - W r i g h t laughs about debuting in her dream role of boyish Peter Pan at the tender age of 36, she admits that the news of Darlington Civic Theatre’s future being haunted by financial Never-Neverland has come as a shock.

“It’s a shame because I’ve been here quite a few times with shows like All The Fun Of The Fair and Kes and the staff here are so welcoming, and it’s such a fantastic theatre. It’s a real shame because there is no other theatre like this until you get to Newcastle and Sunderland,” says the woman who made headlines in September by marrying 63-year-old singer-songwriter/showman David Essex. He, of course, co-stars as Captain Hook.

So can I refer to Captain Hook as her husband I ask, aware that her swashbuckling counterpart has been anxious to avoid the two of them even being photographed sideby- side since they became Mr and Mrs Cook (Essex’s real name).

“Yes, of course. Barbara (Evans), the director of Peter Pan, came to see us in All The Fun Of The Fair and we discussed the roles with Michael Harrison (managing director of panto producers Qdos) and it was a dream job for me because I’m more like a principal boy than a Cinderella- style princess,” jokes Hallam- Wright.

Apart from agreeing that they’d like to work together as a couple over Christmas, Essex and Hallam- Wright didn’t really discuss the impact of becoming mortal enemies on stage for a season.

“We don’t have too much to do with each other during the show.

There are bits of sword fight which is great because we can totally trust each other. I feel safe because he’s done sword-fighting before and I don’t feel in danger of having my head chopped off. I spend more time fighting the pirate crew,” says Hallam- Wright who reveals that Pan’s sword-fighting victories against Hook are more down to trickery involving the sound of the clock inside the crocodile keen to polish off the pirate captain.

So how does she feel about her leading man on and off stage being eaten by a crocodile up to twice a day?

“I don’t really think of it like that but talking to Louise (Lenihan), who plays Tinkerbelle, I have joked ‘I’m 36 and playing Peter Pan’ and she’s Thirtysomething and playing Tink.

What a fantastic way to make a living.

So you don’t think about relationships on stage you think about being Pan and saving Wendy and the Last Boys “I’ve been in the profession a long time, about 17 years, and you just get on with the job and show respect to whoever is up there. And that can be The Grumbleweeds, who are absolutely fantastic, or Louise or Sasi (Strallen), who plays Tiger Lily, or David. There’s always a line you have for each other. That’s why it works,”

says Hallam-Wright who has been impressed by the strength of the Darlington panto cast.

Is she aware that the eyes of a lot of her husband’s fans will be checking out the latest lady in his life?

“No. I don’t really think about it.

David’s fans are extremely loyal and they’re great and they’re coming to the theatre to support him and that’s down to David’s work. It’s their time to have him, so to speak,” she jests.

Hallam-Wright isn’t keen to discuss how the two met, although she starred in All The Fun Of The Fair – created by Essex and Jon Conway of Qdos – in 2008-2009 as Sally on tour and moved into the role of Mary for the West End run this year.

“It’s a fluke that our careers have crossed… it’s a good job we get on,”

she jokes. “But, David is far more talented than people realise. He’s just finished a film (Tribe) with his son Billy (Christy-Cook), who is another one to look out for. David’s very lucky to be able to go into all these different areas of the industry. I don’t think many people can do that.

With David’s fans everyone thinks about all the women but in the West End someone said ‘it’s going to be the only place where you’ll see a massive chap with a skinhead cut and a West Ham shirt queuing to buy a ticket’.

It’s nice that a lot of men relate to him.”

Returning to her pixie-eared appearance as the hero of panto, Hallam- Wright says: “I’ve always wanted to fly as Peter Pan. I’m a bit crazy over things like that but I feel I’m wearing the harness even on my days off at the moment. It’s the hips which are the most bruised because the tighter the harness is, the more you can move around. At the technical rehearsal I seemed to be flying from morning until night which you don’t do normally… but I do feel I’m walking like John Wayne at the moment.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

Having seen the show, Hallam- Wright looks like she’s played Pan for years and is full of confidence zooming high above the audience.

“It’s a real treat to see the smile on children’s faces and to hear them gasp when I first fly in is lovely. It’s really quite special,” says Hallam- Wright who is delighted that she, Lenihan and Strallen have been asked to take on the “it’s behind you”

sketch involving the crocodile.

“It’s usually done by the comedians who do it so well, and the Grumbleweeds have really helped us out,”

she adds.

The Doreen Bird College trained performer isn’t sure if All The Fun Of The Fair will tour again next year and in answer to the question if she and Essex considered singing a duet in Darlington she bursts out laughing and says: “Oh that would be so corny. We did sing a song together in All The Fun Of The Fair, but that was an ensemble number where I was having a go at my boyfriend who had gone off with someone else in the show… but I think that’s enough there,” Hallam-Wright jokes wickedly.

■ Peter Pan runs until January 16. Box Office: 01325-486555 darlingtonarts.co.uk