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“You feel that you really have taken the weight a
nd worry and loneliness from people for a few hours, you send them out from the theatre feeling happier and more human. If you can do that with every performance, you can’t ask for a more worthwhile job.” – Ursula Doyle, one of the legends of 1950s panto who married fellow panto thespian Jimmy O’Dea, talking to Woman’s Way magazine in 1973 Sinbad, 1996 JUNE RODGERS “My earliest memories are coming in to the bright lights of the city from Tallaght village. It was a big treat. The first stop was Clery’s with my mother and sister Linda, then we’d get our Cheeky Charlie’s on Henry Street before making our way to Grafton Street where we’d end up outside Switzer’s. It was magical watching the moving characters in the windows. “We’d make our way up to the Gaiety to see Maureen Potter. I never thought I’d end up on the stage myself in time. The magic of panto is that children are interacting, they are going to see their heroes come alive in this big theatre, normally they’d only hear the story of Jack and the Beanstalk or Cinderella. “I remember once playing the Ugly Sisters with Eileen Reid in which we tore up Cinderella’s invite to the Ball. A little one came flying down the aisle and said ‘Scarlet, you big fat cow, I hate you!’ “We’d have done about 118 shows over eight weeks. It’s hard work and most of the money always went into the production. Times have changed and there are more reality TV stars now who are big for a year. I think it’s important to keep the traditional elements such as the whopper cushion and pie in the face in it.” The June Rodgers Christmas Show is at Taylors Three Rock until December 31 A little one came flying down the aisle and said ‘Scarlet, you big fat cow, I hate you!’ 26