A very different podcast this week as Simon Sladen returns to the hot seat with Martin to talk about the history of pantomime. From its beginnings in Commedia dell’arte to current trends and where it might go in the future this is a fascinating and unmissable episode for any fans of the pantomime genre.

Over a thirty-year career Steve Power has worked with artists such as Gary Barlow, Kylie Minogue, Kim Wilde and Rick Astley as well as musical direction for numerous national theatre tours and, of course, panto! He takes time out from his hectic schedule this week to join Martin on the podcast where they talk about his varied career and he explains how the music is developed for numerous panto productions all across the country each year.

Jason is a man of many talents and has worked with Imagine Theatre for a number of years and this season will be taking on the role of the Director as well as playing Dame. In addition when not in pantoland he is heavily involved in training up the performers of tomorrow at Emil Dale Academy and this week he joins Martin on the podcast to talk all things panto!

Join us as Martin talks to Acting Head of Wardrobe Aaron Gibson. With around 25,000 costumes, 17 pantomimes plus numerous hires over the season the wardrobe department is a crucial part of the Imagine team and Aaron discusses with Martin just how all they manage to get so many fabulous looking costumes onto stages across the UK each season. 

This week Martin is joined by the woman with the longest job title of all at Imagine Theatre, Laura Taylor, who is Associate Producer and Head of Celebrity Casting. They discuss the process of casting celebrity names, exactly what being an Associate Producer entails, as well as Laura’s role on the board of the UK Pantomime Association and her love of the pantomime industry.

This week Martin talks to Steve and Sarah to learn how Imagine has evolved under their leadership  since  they took sole ownership of the company. They discuss the ethos of the Imagine Theatre, the highs and lows of life as panto producers as well as their own personal highlights and ambitions.

Working for a panto company people often ask “what do you do the rest of the year?” On this episode Eric talks to Martin about why we are working on panto all year, how the season comes together and the timelines involved in getting the season on, as well as how we choose songs, what informs our decisions on sets and the factors we take into account when writing our scripts. Don’t miss this fascinating insight into life in a panto production company! 

This week Martin returns to the Imagine head office to talk to some of the ops team about their roles and just how a season involving 17 pantomimes as well as numerous set and costume hires comes together. They talk about everything from hiring stage management, to making props, to the logistics of transporting so many large sets all across the country, as well as how each of them found themselves working in the wonderful world of panto!

In the hot seat this week is Business and Marketing Director Sarah Boden. Learn how Sarah went from working in the corporate sector to being owner of one of the largest pantomime companies in the United Kingdom and just what being a Business and Marketing Director of a pantomime company entails.  

Ever wondered what a normal day in February is like at Imagine Theatre Head Office? In the next group of episodes of Just Imagine, we're going to delve into the workings of Imagine as a company.  For Episode 23, Martin takes a walk around Imagine HQ on a normal day in February, chatting to the team and finding out what we do when the curtain is down and we're preparing for our next pantomime season. It certainly isn't a quiet on the day he pops in!