Interview with Clive Rowe, Director of Hackney Empire’s Pantomime ‘Cinderella’

Clive Rowe MBE is no stranger to the world of pantomime, having first stepped into the role of a Dame at Nottingham Playhouse in 1989. An Olivier Award–winning actor, he has been a cornerstone of Hackney Empire’s pantomime for the past 18 years—and now, he takes on a new role as Director. We chat with Clive about his work on this year’s pantomime, Cinderella (which you can read our review of here!)

To begin with, can you remember where your passion for theatre first began?

I suppose my interest in theatre began in junior school when I played Jonah in Jonah man Jazz and had my first solo singing line “ I need a boat man, that will carry me a way”.

You are a long-standing performer at the Hackney Empire pantomime. What was special about this theatre that sparked the foundations of your collaboration?

The foundation of my longstanding collaboration with Hackney is the heartfelt welcome I’ve always received and the feeling of being part of a family. That, combined with the incredible beauty of the building, has me coming back again and again.

This year, you are stepping into the shoes of being the director. How have your experiences as a Dame and a performer overall helped you in tackling new challenges?

This is my first year solely directing but I have directed and dame’d over the past four years my experiences performing over the past 20 or so years has given me a definite feel for how I think Panto should be and helped me find that balance between comedy , musical Theatre,  variety and drama crafting a show that appeals across generations making it an evening for the whole family.

The traditional pantomime is such a fantastic art form for people of all ages. Why do you think it is such a fundamental part of people’s lives?

I think that pantomime is a part of people’s lives because it is for all the family and  not dedicated to a particular age group.

What elements do you consider essential to a truly great panto?

The elements I consider that make a good pantomime are lots of fun, lots of colour, and lots of great entertainment

The pantomime very much relies on audience interaction. How do you work with this as a director in the rehearsal room when developing your production?

The audience reaction is a large part of the pantomime, and it is a difficult thing to bring into the rehearsal room. All you can do as a Director is try to voice what you feel the audience will voice when they watch the show, so for example, I would boo for the baddie, cheer for the goody, and if Buttons says hello, I would say hello back

Pantomimes are also known for their interjections of popular music - are there any in particular you think will stick in the heads of your audiences over the festive period?

Yes, I have songs that I hope will stick in people’s minds, but I don’t want to give away too much. So pop along to Hackney, and you’ll find out.

What do you hope younger generations take away from experiencing live theatre, especially pantomime?

I hope that young people will have a fun time and maybe see something that they want to pursue as performers or  be involved in theatre on any level

Why should audiences grab a ticket to see the Hackney Empire pantomime this festive season?

Audience should grab a ticket for the Hackney Panto because it’s a great night out at the theatre but if you can’t get to Hackney support your local pantomime.

Cinderella plays at Hackney Empire until 31 December.