Welcome as we go beyond the curtain and backstage for the upcoming 2026–27 pantomime season with a brand new series of interviews!
In this interview series, we'll sit down with the dames, heroes, villains, and creatives who transform classic fairy tales into the festive magic we all know and love.
In this interview, we sat down with comedian Hollie Smith-Nelson, who plays Cinderella in Cinderella at The Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa.
Cinderella’s journey goes from everyday toil to a magical transformation. How will you approach the role and the journey the role goes through?
I think it’s important to always start from a place of truth when approaching a role. Whilst I have yet to personally experience a fairy godmother, I have some wonderful friends who add lots of magic to my life - so I can certainly draw from my experiences when playing Cinderella and navigating her journey.
I think it’s important to always start from a place of truth when approaching a role. Whilst I have yet to personally experience a fairy godmother, I have some wonderful friends who add lots of magic to my life - so I can certainly draw from my experiences when playing Cinderella and navigating her journey.
Panto thrives on camaraderie and comedic chaos. How excited are you to work with the cast this year?
I am beyond excited to work with the cast this year. I am fortunate to have worked with some of them previously, so we already have a great starting place to work from in terms of camaraderie. I am sure we will have some amazing moments this year that we can draw from to have lots of laughs.
You return to the venue this year, how rewarding it must be to be back by popular demand?
I am so grateful to be back at Leamington Spa this year. I absolutely loved my panto season here last year, and to have the opportunity to spend another Christmas here is a dream come true.
How do you prepare for the unpredictable energy of live family crowds, especially when the shouting and cheering from the audience kick in?
I don’t think you can prepare, but that’s what makes panto so unbelievably fun. You have to think on your toes with audience interaction, and you get to thrive off the energy the audience gives you during each performance. I personally love a loud audience, as when you’re on stage, it feels magical to know everyone is so involved in the story.
How do you mentally and physically prepare ahead of a run in panto?
Cold season is upon us, and I really want to avoid getting ill during panto. So to prepare, keeping warm is a must, lots of vitamin C, and staying away from anyone with the sniffles (sorry!).
If, instead, of giving our flyers for the show, what show-themed prop would you use to sell the show to audiences?
A glass slipper that doubled up as a snow globe. So you would shake the slipper and see our wonderful poster inside as a nice memento!
A glass slipper that doubled up as a snow globe. So you would shake the slipper and see our wonderful poster inside as a nice memento!
What are your own favourite panto memories, be that as a performer or as an audience member?
Last year during the iconic 12 Days of Christmas, a lovely lady caught the toilet rolls. After she threw them back on stage, she went to sit down; the seat had folded back up, and she fell. After making sure she was all okay, she was laughing, the whole audience was laughing, and everyone on stage was laughing too.
If you lost a shoe in real life at midnight, what kind of shoe would it actually be—a sparkly heel, a cosy slipper, or a trusty trainer?
It would be a sparkly heel; funny enough, I have nearly lost a heel when out this year— so maybe that was me subconsciously preparing for the role. My heel got stuck in the gap between two panels of decking; sadly, no fairy godmother or prince that evening.
If a Fairy Godmother appeared in your life right now and could grant you any instant perk, what would you ask for?
I’d ask for my sister’s happiness! She is a midwife whose job can be incredibly challenging at times, and with the pressure on the NHS, sometimes it can get her down. So if I could give her and all her colleagues the public recognition they deserve as well as the resources to make her job easier, I’d do it in a heartbeat! Big shoutout to my sister Tia, I am so proud of you!
I’d ask for my sister’s happiness! She is a midwife whose job can be incredibly challenging at times, and with the pressure on the NHS, sometimes it can get her down. So if I could give her and all her colleagues the public recognition they deserve as well as the resources to make her job easier, I’d do it in a heartbeat! Big shoutout to my sister Tia, I am so proud of you!
What song do you think Cinderella would request the DJ play at the Prince’s Royal Ball?
Well, it’s Christmas, so it’s got to be ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey.
Well, it’s Christmas, so it’s got to be ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ by Mariah Carey.
Beyond the glitter and mayhem, Cinderella’s core story is about hope, resilience, and kindness winning the day. What do you hope young audience members take away when they watch her story unfold?
I hope audiences can take away the message that if you can be anything in this world, you can be kind. Even when Fifi and Roxy were being rather mean to Cinderella, she was still kind, and there’s something incredibly powerful about the idea that you can experience unkindness without losing the goodness within you.
I hope audiences can take away the message that if you can be anything in this world, you can be kind. Even when Fifi and Roxy were being rather mean to Cinderella, she was still kind, and there’s something incredibly powerful about the idea that you can experience unkindness without losing the goodness within you.
Panto season is a special time of year for local theatregoers. What does being part of a town's key holiday tradition mean to you personally as a performer?
For a few people, this will be someone’s introduction to the magic of theatre, and knowing that as a performer I can be a part of someone’s Christmas memory and hopefully the start of a love of theatre is so wonderfully special.
For a few people, this will be someone’s introduction to the magic of theatre, and knowing that as a performer I can be a part of someone’s Christmas memory and hopefully the start of a love of theatre is so wonderfully special.
Cinderella runs at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa from Friday 4th December until Sunday 3rd January 2027. For tickets, visit https://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalspacentre/info/71/panto
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