This week on the podcast Martin is joined by three guests to discuss the role of technology in pantomime. He talks to Imagine’s Artistic Director Eric Potts, Head of Operations, Dave Edmunds and Nina Dunn from PixelLux.

They discuss the innovations throughout the history of pantomime and how technology has helped with the evolution of the genre in a variety of ways from lighting, sound, automated flying, illusions and special effects to Imagine’s brand new digital sets.

For this week’s podcast Martin joined the team at their largest photoshoot event of the year. Taking place over 4 days the August shoot brings people together from all over the United Kingdom to have their publicity photos taken and promo videos filmed. This is the final shoot of the year and is the last opportunity to gather marketing assets for the forthcoming season.

 The shoot not only brings many of the cast members from different shows together it also gives the Imagine Team a rare chance to all get together in one place. Martin chats to members of the Imagine Team as well as some of the cast members to talk about the shoot and the season ahead.

The pantomime version of Dick Whittington has been around since the early 1800s and is believed to be the only pantomime based on a real person.

This week Eric Potts and Robert Marsden join Martin on the podcast to discuss one of their favourite titles. They discuss the delights and challenges of staging this particular panto as well as its versatility and history, and relive some of their favourite memories of performing and directing this iconic panto.

Daniel took an unusual route to being a professional musician having first studied Sports Science at University before going on to Mountview

Dan has worked with Imagine for a number of years as a Musical Arranger and Musical Director and he talks to Martin about how he came into the theatre profession, those that have influenced him, as well as more about what is involved in being an Arranger and an MD in the world of theatre.

This week on the podcast Martin catches up with Steve Boden to learn why there is no such thing as a restful summer for the Imagine Team.

With casting auditions for both adults and juniors, photoshoots, set maintenance, hires, props creation, script reads and much more going on, it is full steam ahead on panto planning during July and August.

Take a listen to the podcast to find out more!

This week Martin talks to Mark Thorburn.

 Mark’s love of the theatre began with a pantomime at the Coventry Theatre aged 8 and he has gone on to be involved in theatrical industry in many different roles, some of which include Chief Executive of NODA, Editor of the Amateur Theatre Magazine, Artistic Director of YOG, a Coventry youth theatre group, as well as being part of the Imagine Team in its early years.

This week the tables are turned and it is Just Imagine podcast host Martin Ballard who is in the hot seat with Imagine MD Steve Boden taking over the role of interviewer.

 Martin spent many years hosting on BBC radio and his links with Imagine go back 20 years from his time as Dame at Loughborough Town Hall. Steve discusses with him how he got into the entertainment business, how he came to be working on the radio and all about his deep love of pantomime.

This week Martin talks to Chris McGuigan from Trafalgar Theatres, which is part of the wider Trafalgar Entertainment group. Chris has had an extensive career in the theatre industry and is now Group Commercial Director for Trafalgar Theatres.

Imagine and Trafalgar Theatres began working together for the 2022 season and Chris, a lifelong panto fan, talks to Martin about panto from the perspective of the theatres. They discuss the importance of panto revenue in supporting theatres throughout the year, the widespread appeal of the genre, the way the experience of panto is different for the staff at the venue and the importance of panto in bringing in audience members who are not regular theatre-goers as well a finding out which panto is Chris’s personal favourite 

This week’s podcast is all about the Junior Ensemble. A big part of the ethos at Imagine Theatre is to give as many children as possible the opportunity to experience performing in professional productions and Martin has a variety of guests on the pod this week to talk about the experience from different perspectives.

 Martin speaks to Sarah O’Gleby who has gone on from the Junior Ensemble in Leicester to perform and choreograph on the West End and Broadway as well as working with artistes such as Beyonce, Harry Styles, Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman.

 He also talks to two young performers who have spent many years appearing in the Junior Ensemble. They talk about what the auditions are like, the importance of keeping up with school work during the run, the benefits of appearing in a professional production and also offer a few important tips for auditionees and those successful in gaining a place in the show.

Martin also catches up with Head of Child Licensing at Imagine Theatre, Bethany Pearson, to learn more about the process of licensing more than 400 children each year.

Eric Potts and Iain Lauchlan join Martin on the podcast this week to talk about Jack and the Beanstalk.

 This is the second of several ‘special’ podcast episodes where we work through the popular pantomime titles in turn, examining them in more depth by talking through the title’s roots, such as Jack’s origin in Cornish folklore, the background story and the unique elements of the title, like the giant, and much mo