Two friends to star as Red Riding Hood in panto at Cork's Everyman 

It’s not every day you get to meet two fun, feisty Red Riding Hoods.

“Did you really?” asks my wide-eyed grandson.

“Oh yes, I did. And I managed to dodge the Big Bad Wolf.”

Glanmire girls, Robyn O’Riordan, aged 10, and Grace O’Halloran, aged 11, are bouncing with joy at the thought of performing in this year’s Christmas pantomime, Red Riding Hood at the Everyman Theatre Cork.

Big Bad Wolf is prowling around back-stage.

From Saturday, November 30 to Sunday, January 17, the people of Cork, who love a good panto, can be sure of magical entertainment, plenty of surprises, some boos and hisses, and lots and lots of laughter.

“I am so excited to be sharing the role of Red Riding Hood with Robyn, who is my friend,” says Grace, who is in 5th class at Gaelscoil Ui Driscoil.

Grace has treaded the boards before.

“Red Riding Hood will be my sixth pantomime as part of the Junior Chorus in the Everyman Theatre.”

This is a talented young lady.

“I am a member of the Competition Dance Team with CADA and have been lucky enough to travel to various dance competitions. We have been very successful and have brought home many trophies in Group Class, Solo, Jazz, Solo Lyrical and Acro.”

Grace doesn’t suffer from stage fright. Nor does Grace’s older sister, Charlotte, who played Red Riding Hood in 2016.

“I was nine years old, close enough the age Grace is now,” says Charlotte.

“I am so proud of Grace and that she gets to have the same experience I had. Grace and Robyn shine on stage, and if I could, I would relive it all over again.”

Now it’s Grace’s turn to shine along with her friend Robyn.

“It was a big audition,” says Grace, speaking about getting her best gig ever, that of the role of Red Riding Hood.

“At the audition I picked my own song to sing, I Know This Now, and my own story to tell and they taught me the dance steps.”

Grace gives us a gist of the story without giving anything away.

“I go to granny’s house,” she says. “And the wolf is in her bed!”

That’s not good, is it?

“No,” says Grace, giggling.

“But the story gets better and better.”

What does Grace like about performing on stage in front of large, enthusiastic audiences out for hours of fun and games at Christmas time?

“I love the lights; I love the clapping and the atmosphere is fantastic!”

She loves that they are all in it together.

“Sometimes at rehearsals I switch roles with the wolf, and he says my lines and I say his lines. I repeat the lines loads of times in my head every day, probably three or four times.”

Grace is an old pro at performing, adding: “I know the Everyman Theatre very well.”

She has the right props to wow audiences.

“She loves being on stage,” says Rose, who has another daughter in the middle, Alison.

“Grace and her older sister Charlotte often worked together.”

Was Grace always an actress?

“She was always the centre of attention and could sway people to get her own way,” says Rose, laughing.

Now Grace will sway the Red Riding Hood panto audiences to laugh and cry tears of joy over the Christmas period.

“Nobody is surprised Grace won the role of Red Riding Hood, along with her friend Robyn,” says Rose.

Grace is not acting when she tells me that she was thrilled to get the role.

“I could not believe I was offered the role, and I am so excited to be in it with Robyn!”

Robyn was born to perform.

“Robyn has been singing and dancing since she was a baby,” says her mum, Ashleigh. “She was always destined for the stage.”

She was always destined for great things.

“Robyn was always a drama queen!” says Ashleigh.

Robyn’s mum herself could have got the coveted role of Red Riding Hood.

“I nearly know the part myself by now!” says Ashleigh.

“There has been hours and hours of work and rehearsals gone into the panto ahead of opening night.”

Like Grace, Robyn joined CADA at a young age. And like Grace, Robyn was part of the junior chorus at the Everyman Theatre.

“She blossomed at CADA,” says Ashleigh.

Where does Robyn get her acting talent from?

“I would say from her dad Niall’s side of the family,” says Ashleigh.

“Robyn is always videoing little scenes and news stories to send to her granny. Drama and film are her thing.”

Robyn wasn’t acting either when she landed the role of Red Riding Hood.

“I was crying, I was so happy,” she says.

What song did she sing at her audition?

“I sang Naughty from Matilda.”

It was a definite yes from the judges.

“Everyone is so nice,” says Robyn. “The crew are funny and fun.”

It’s hard work at times though, with rigorous rehearsing.

“I’m often really tired, but I don’t mind,” says Robyn.

Is the Big Bad Wolf fun?

“He’s really freaky!” says Robyn, whose older sister Holly also appeared in panto.

Big Bad Wolf looks the part.

“The make-up is really fantastic,” says Robyn.

“And all our costumes are hand-made and made-to measure.”

Robyn was born to be a star.

“I want to be an actor and star in films,” she says, her eyes shining.

Stage fright doesn’t enter the script.

“I think the mums are more nervous!” says Ashleigh.

CADA founder Catherine Mahon Buckley got stage fright when producing and directing her very first Cork panto, Cinderella, 29 years ago.

“My husband Ted was on the Board of Directors at the Everyman,” says Catherine.

“He said to me, what do you think about doing a panto?

“What? With 200 pounds in the bank?” I replied .

Catherine considered taking the plunge.

“I have a better chance of jumping into the Atlantic and then swimming! Chance is a fine thing.”

“We broke even that year,” adds Catherine.

The rest is history.

A history filled with magic, timeless fun in the world of fairytale entertainment.

“Laughter is my tonic and working with kids has had me laughing now for over three decades,” says Catherine.

She feeds off the arts.

“The creativity of the kids and their imaginations and energy keeps me full of vitality and energy,” says Catherine.

“It feels like I’m involved in panto for a thousand years.”

You are only as good as your last gig.

“To this day, I am always conscious of the expectations of the audience,” she says.

The audience has never been disappointed in three decades.

“Every five years, a new generation of talented kids come along, and they never fail to surprise you,” says Catherine, who offers classes to all age groups from three years of age to anything above.

“It’s never too early or too late to do something if you really want to do it,” Catherine adds.

What makes for a good panto, in Catherine’s vast experience?

“Audience participation is vital,” responds Catherine.

“People love and need to laugh.”

The plot is familiar.

“There’s always a bit of magic between the hero and heroine.”

We might have to wait a while for the happy-ever-after.

“There’s always a bit of conflict and drama before the baddie gets his comeuppance before things are resolved.”

There’s a lot of dialogue involved.

“The audience love getting stuck in and booing and hissing,” says Catherine.

Oh yes, they do.

“The Christmas Panto has always been at huge thing in Cork at Christmas,” says Catherine.

“It can be a real riot and a real laugh.”

We like laughing at ourselves, at the end of the day

“It is important to keep the child alive in us,” says Catherine.

The zany buzz of the panto is alive and well in Cork.

Going backstage, the cast, crew, costumes, special effects, props, sound, and lighting, are all on stand-by ready to rock for final rehearsals.

I am delighted I didn’t bump into Deco the Big Bad Wolf.

And then I hear a chorus of voices.

“He’s behind you!”

The Everyman Panto Red Riding Hood, directed by Catherine Mahon Buckley, runs Saturday, November 30 to Sunday, January 12. To book your tickets call 021-4501780 or log onto https://everymancork.com/events/red-riding-hood