It's panto time in Crawley!

Richard Franks is looking forward to his fifth year on the trot in Crawley pantomime.
Richard Franks and Lucy jane QuinlanRichard Franks and Lucy jane Quinlan
Richard Franks and Lucy jane Quinlan

This year it will be Cinderella (December 10-January 2), with Richard sharing the stage alongside Scarlett Moffatt (Gogglebox, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Saturday Night Takeaway), CBeebies’ favourite Nigel Clarke (The Baby Club) as Dandini and Michael J Batchelor as the dame.

Richard will be hoping for a very different year to last Christmas when, despite adversity, they still managed to achieve something significant.

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“The Hawth managed to do like a pop-up panto that was very much smaller scale and very much scaled back last year,” Richard says. “It was just the bones of panto, just the jokes really, and I am really proud of what we did, just the five of us. It was a really good effort in all the circumstances, just the few of us. It was a very special atmosphere.

“It was just the five of us in separate rooms and we were socially distanced on stage as well. We didn’t get close to each other and if ever there was any shouting, you turned away. But we managed it.”

Inevitably it was shut down when the Christmas lockdown took hold: “But it felt like a big achievement. We stopped on Christmas Eve and then that was it. We went home. We were due to carry on, but we did it and we really tried to give people some kind of panto experience. I am really happy that we did it – and I can definitely say that I haven’t missed a year!”

And the upshot is that this year’s panto is going to seem even more special than ever.

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“We have all had a difficult time and we are all still coming back out of it now. But this will certainly be extra special this Christmas.”

And adding to the pleasure for Richard is that it’s a return to his beloved Crawley.

“I keep coming back. They can’t stop me. I just keep coming back and back. I love the audience, I love the place and the staff are all really nice.

“The first panto I did at Crawley was Snow White five years ago, and this one now will be my first Cinderella. There is just something about Crawley. As soon as you arrive, everyone is really nice, and the staff are just so supportive. The people just really support the pantomime. They want the panto. It is a really good spot.

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“This year is my debut as Buttons. I have done a lot of comedy roles, but this is my first-ever Cinderella. I have also been the comic, the Muddles or the Silly Billy, but there is something very prestigious about being Buttons. It is my first time in the blue and gold costume, and it is nice to tick Cinderella off the list. Cinderella is most people’s favourite pantomime. It is a great story.

“To be honest I am just very happy being here at The Hawth. I just love performing here and I just love performing with (fellow Hawth regular) Michael J Batchelor. And I suppose you could be doing any title, but Cinderella is going to seem particularly special.”

During lockdown Richard took the internet by storm with the release of his online comedy sketches. He amassed a following of more than 230 thousand people on the social media platform TikTok and has racked up over 3.5 million likes.

He makes up one third of The Odd Bods, who are the comedic alien trio in the CBeebies television show Spot Bots. He has also appeared in Justin’s House on CBeebies.

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