Backstage at this year's panto
Oh yes, he is! This year, Leeds’ favourite Dame, Simon Nock, returns for his ninth Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at The Varieties. To honour the occasion, Simon takes us behind the scenes…
See what goes into the Dame’s costumes – no, I don’t mean Simon – and take a sneak peek around the back of a centuries-old national treasure – no, I still don’t mean Simon!
Written by Ben Fletcher
Getting into costume
From Red Riding Hood to Robin Hood, and other pantos without ‘Hood’ in the title, the Dame has been known to rock her fair share of fab outfits. Over the years, we have seen cupcake cannons, fantastic frocks and references to the likes of Goldfinger and Mission Impossible, all whilst making efforts to remain sustainable as well as entertaining.
Hear from Set and Costume Designer, Dawn Allsopp, and Head of Costume, Kate Rossiter, about the process of designing these costumes, what’s in store for Rapunzel, and how a cow’s head caused some bother…
Navigating backstage
Sitting in the auditorium to watch the show, sometimes it’s hard to imagine that there is as much running around backstage as there is chaos ensuing on-stage – it’s even harder to believe once you see the narrow corridors and maze-like dressing rooms!
Our dear Dame takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the Back of House at The Varieties – try to keep up!
Simon Nock getting ready for Robin Hood. Credit James Glossop
Rapunzel: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto
City Varieties Music Hall
Fri 27 November 2026 – Sun 10 January 2027
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