Just Imagine
Just Imagine - a podcast series from Imagine Theatre, one of the biggest pantomime producers in the world. With over 200 professional pantomime productions under their belt, Imagine really are one of the global experts in the field of pantomime. We'll go behind the scenes to meet the people behind the company, listen to their stories and find out what 'they do for the rest of the year' when it isn't panto season. With our host Martin Ballard we'll find out what makes Imagine Theatre tick, and how they manage to put on so many productions all at the same time!
Episodes
90 episodes
Episode 89 - Relaxed and Accessible Pantomime Performances
This week’s podcast was recorded at the North Wall Arts Centre in Oxford at the UK Pantomime Association panel event on Relaxed and Accessible Performances.The panellists were Jess Thom, Annie Bannister, Chris Jarvis and Dr Chris Abbott ...
•
41:24
Episode 88 - David Lloyd-Jones
This week Martin is talking to David Lloyd-Jones. From early memories of Punch and Judy in Llandudno and his first panto experience at Swansea Grand aged 9, David has gone on to have a varied career in the theatre industry, including being a cu...
•
34:23
Episode 87 - Behind the Scenes at a Photoshoot
Martin joined the team at a photoshoot and caught up with some of the Imagine team and casts from a number of different pantos.Jack Malin who is part of the team running the Theatre Café in London and is also playing Prince in Swindon’s ...
•
27:13
Episode 86 - Production Management and Technical Theatre
Andy Nurse has spent many years working as a production manager for Imagine Theatre and also specialises in many of the technical aspects of live performance.From an early love of playing musical instruments Andy changed course to work b...
•
30:21
Episode 85 - Nathan Guy
From playing a mosquito aged 3 in Alice Through the Looking Glass to the present day Nathan has always loved performing.Coming from a strong theatre family Nathan was actually in a panto in the Junior Ensemble before he had even been in ...
•
29:06
Episode 84 - A Focus on Mother Goose
Simon Sladen and Steve Boden join Martin to talk about the history of Mother Goose. Although it is not that frequently performed these days it historically enjoyed great success with Dan Leno and Joseph Grimaldi both appearing in early versions...
•
26:19
Remembering Paul Burnett
Musical Director Paul Burnett’s daughter Caroline joins Martin this week to talk about her father’s career and life growing up with theatrical parents.Paul was a prolific musical director in the 1950s to the 1980s in the true heart of va...
•
26:45
Episode 82 – Pantomime Music with Miles Russell
Have you ever wanted to know more about the music in the pantomime? This week Martin is joined by Miles Russell who has spent a number of panto seasons as an MD and Arranger with Imagine Theatre.From starting out age seven learning to pl...
•
27:52
Episode 81 - Behind the scenes at the 2024 Pantomime Awards
Join Martin as he goes back stage at this year's UK Pantomime Awards. Taking place on Tuesday 18th June at G Live in Guildford, the 2024 pantomime awards were another star studded, glittering evening celebrating all things panto! M...
•
Episode 81
•
27:28
Episode 80 - Adam Brooks
This week Martin is joined by former contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee and current Deputy Head of Wardrobe at Imagine Theatre, Adam Brooks.Adam talks about those early influences that led to his love of theatre and costume. He a...
•
31:10
Episode 79 – Stage Management and Training
This week Martin talks to two key members of the Imagine team about how they got into the industry and their experiences of training in stage management. Ruth Porter, Deputy Head of Stage Management and Props and Jazmyne Evans, Oper...
•
36:27
Episode 78 - Lighting and Sound Design
This week’s episode focuses on the roles of two key elements of any theatrical production – the lighting and the sound. Lighting Designer and Programmer Matt Ladkin and Sound Designer and Head of Project Engineering and Head of Educ...
•
29:22
Episode 77 - A Focus on Snow White
This week Eric Potts and Palace panto regular James McAnerney join Martin on the podcast to talk about Snow White.Snow White originated from the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s and it grew and developed from there to become the version...
•
29:44
Episode 76 – What Imagine Are Doing During Spring
We are already a third of the way through the year and this week on the podcast Sarah and Steve talk to Martin about where Imagine are in the panto process at the moment. New set and costume designs are underway for the three brand ...
•
27:12
Episode 75 - The Role of the Director
Episode 75 – The Role of the Director This week the podcast focuses on the role of the director. Robert Marsden and Mairi Cowieson join Martin on the podcast to discuss what being a director actually involves. The...
•
29:08
Episode 74 – Trafalgar’s Dame Rosemary Squire and Helen Enright
Joint CEO of Trafalgar Entertainment Dame Rosemary Squire and CEO and COO of Trafalgar Theatres Helen Enright are Martin’s guests on the podcast this week.Despite an early love of theatre, neither Rosemary or Helen set out to have a care...
•
Episode 74
•
31:42
Episode 73 - Swansea Legend Kev Johns
This week Swansea legend Kev Johns joins Martin on the podcast.Kev has been a panto dame for 30 years, with 25 of those at the Swansea Grand. He also presented numerous radio shows, including more than 20 years on the Breakfast Show, as ...
•
31:23
Episode 72 - A Focus on the Pantomime - Part 5 - Beauty and the Beast
The pantomime version of Beauty and the Beast is one of the most popular titles of all, along with being one of the most loved Disney classics.This week Eric Potts and Liam Dolan join Martin on the podcast to discuss one of their favouri...
•
Episode 72
•
29:33
Episode 71 - The Role of the Producer
This week Steve Boden and Laura Taylor join Martin to talk about the role of the producer.Producers are crucial to each production as they have overall responsibility for the show, but it is one of the roles that many people know little ...
•
30:10
Episode 70 – The 2023/4 Panto Season Comes to a Close
Martin catches up with Sarah and Steve to discuss how the 2023 panto season went and what is in store for 2024.Imagine have had their biggest ever panto season with 19 pantomimes and 3 Santa shows. They have employed more people than eve...
•
27:30
Episode 69 – Backstage at the De Montfort Hall Panto
This week Martin goes backstage at DMH where he spent 10 years performing in panto himself to chat to the cast of this year’s Jack and the Beanstalk.He finds out how Scott Mills has settled in to his first ever pantomime, learns Jarred C...
•
36:28
Episode 68 – A Christmas Special from Swindon
For the Christmas edition of the podcast Martin heads to Swindon to talk to the cast of Snow White at The Wyvern - David Ashley, Divina De Campo, Nathan Connor, Paul Burling and Samantha Dorrance.This episode also features special Christ...
•
36:17
Episode 67 – Scott Mills
This week Martin is joined by radio presenter Scott Mills who is making his pantomime debut this year in Jack and the Beanstalk at De Montfort Hall.Scott talks to Martin about how his decision to do a panto came about, the advice he has ...
•
26:27
Episode 66 – The Panto Season is Underway
This week Imagine’s Joint CEO and Business and Marketing Director Sarah Boden joins Martin to talk through everything that is currently happening at Imagine Theatre HQ as well as on the pantomimes themselves.Everything is in full swing w...
•
29:06
Episode 65 - A Focus on the Pantomime - Part 4 - Peter Pan
This week Martin is joined by Imagine Theatre’s Steve Boden and performer and director Steven Wren to talk about Peter Pan.Peter Pan has been around for 120 years in numerous forms – firstly as a book and then a play, a musical, many dif...
•
33:04