Crescent Theatre Blog

Following last week’s Sunday afternoon in the cold at the Reindeer Parade, the cast of Winnie-the-Pooh took to the streets of the Birmingham once more as Tigger and mount Whinney-the-Pooh took part in this year’s Thomas Vale Pantomime Horse Grand National.

There was plenty of fun to be had ahead of the main race, and the team – sadly not in costume this time! – were again met with enthusiasm as they eagerly handed out flyers for the show.

Priced by Ladbroke’s at 10-1, our nag didn’t seem to be rated particularly highly amongst the field of 30-odd Colt runners, but Tigger’s alter-ego Pete Smith looked supremely confident as he lined up amongst the entrants from other local groups, all out to support a number of the Lord Mayor’s charities.

And they’re off!

Tigger stormed into an immediate lead, masterfully bouncing over the many hay bales that lay around the 500m course in Centerary Square – and managed to hold on until right near the end. With the cheers of his fellow cast members helping him along the way, it wasn’t until the very last turn that our Tigger was overtaken by the race’s eventual winner (cruelly denying me the “Winner-the-Pooh” headline I’d intended to use here).

A great second place made us justly proud, and ensured Pete took a thoroughly well-deserved place on the winners’ rostrum. Despite inevitable exhaustion, he again put himself out for the Pooh cause, and made sure that along with a wonderful trophy, one of Ian’s magnificently-made placards accompanied him in all the official (and unofficial) photographs…

Well done to everyone – and especially to Tigger and Whinney!

A few weeks have now passed and we have had several run throughs of the whole play which gives a much greater ‘feel’ for how it all hangs together. It is now all about the hard slog of learning lines and getting ‘off book’.

The recent Reindeer Parade seemed to go quite well with lots of people turning out in miserable weather. Dressed up and made up we all quickly got into character and I was pleasantly suprised that the audience recognised us immediately, despite my own ‘temporary’ costume suggesting more chav bear than Pooh bear. The large number of younger children seemed particularly over-awed by our characters and the general vibe from adults was very positive (a number of whom wanted photos with the cast).

Christmas fast approaches and we all know that the deadline for knowing our parts will soon be with us. Then the fun of the final run in can begin and we can all look forward to the terror of opening night.

Today, the cast and director behind Winne-the-Pooh took to the streets and lined up, er, behind Winnie-the-Pooh as part of Birmingham’s Christmas Reindeer and Lantern Parade. It takes more than a severe weather warning for Crescent members to miss out on the chance to dress up and play around in public…

We joined children from local schools, Scouts, two pipe bands (two too many to these ears), Santa and his elves, some snowmen and life-size Christmas crackers – to stroll through the city centre and bring a little cheer to a dismal Sunday afternoon.

(Oh, we were also backed up by people from a small theatre nearby called The Rep – who were out to promote their re-enactment of the Crescent’s 2004 Christmas show)…

With the cast members being so brilliantly made-up and costumed, it was a real pleasure to see so many children excitedly clamour to meet Piglet, Eeyore and the-Pooh himself. Despite the cold and wet, the team were bright and bouncy, bounding around with handfuls of leaflets and posing for photos with the many families who were excited to see Winnie and his friends.

With a Pooh banner held proudly aloft, we wended our way from the Bullring through New Street, Centenary Square and Broad Street, with cast members continuing to mix and mingle – not leaving anyone’s gaze without also leaving a (magnificently-designed) leaflet in every potential punter’s mitts. I am sure the eagerly-taken flyers will result in many smiling faces come January.

In a stroke of luck (or genius), the parade ended up in Brindleyplace, which meant that ‘Team Pooh’ were not far from the respite of the theatre, its members’ room and all-important kettle! A couple of broken umbrellas, a once-full suitcase of flyers completely emptied and lots of wet faces were brought back – as well as a continuing sense of fun and of a job being well done.

The cast acquited themselves with joy and purpose and promoted the show brilliantly – despite the rain, dear. And as for the reindeer, I never got to see any. However, there’s now a very shiny red nose in my mirror… Atchoo!