Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood tells JIM PALMER why he’s looking forward to playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Orchard Theatre.
For some viewers, he’s already the panto villain for half the year when Strictly’s on but Craig Revel Horwood will once again take to the stage as the real thing in Dartford this Christmas.
It has been three years since Craig last appeared in the Orchard Theatre’s pantomime, when he played the Wicked Queen in Snow White and he’s back as Captain Hook in this year’s Peter Pan.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 49, is raring to go.
He said: “I cannot wait. It was was great fun and everyone was up for a great time. They were nice and loud, and answered back – we love that.”
For his last few outings, one-time drag queen Craig has played a female baddie though he doesn’t see that the famous pirate will be too much of a stretch.
He said: “I loved playing the Wicked Queen but this isn’t too much of a far cry from it. I’m not in drag but I am wearing a long black wig. I love playing the villain and the more booing there is, the better it is.”
Craig has a background in big theatrical productions – he won an Olivier Award for his choreography in the West End production of Spend, Spend, Spend – so his experience is likely to be invaluable this Christmas, starring alongside the likes of Britain’s Got Talent finalist Paul Burling.
Though Christmas is a busy time for Craig – on December 13 and 20 there’s no panto as he’ll be on TV in Strictly – he is passionate about appearing in panto.
He said: “It is three weeks of feeling Christmassy, I love that. Plus, it keeps me thin over Christmas because if I had that time off I would be eating.
“I have a good laugh and all my mates come down. They come and see the panto and we have a night out, so it’s social too.”
It has been a decade since Craig first came to the public’s consciousness on Strictly and he said it has had a huge impact on his life.
He said: “From day one it has changed my life because I couldn’t walk out into the street. That was the weirdest thing. I was largely anonymous, I was known within the industry but not to the public.
“It took a couple of years for people to get my sense of humour as well because it is quite dry.”
He added: “It has completely changed everyone’s lives that have been involved with it. Dancers were never famous, ever. Now we have the likes of Anton Du Beke who is a household name.
“What it has done for the ballroom and latin world is take it out of the tiny little sphere and exploded it into the world.”
Peter Pan is at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford, from December 12 to January 3. Tickets cost from £15. Go to orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.
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