Readers of a certain vintage may remember Paul Hendy from his days presenting The Disney Club, Wheel Of Fortune and Don’t Try This At Home. These days you’ll find him heading up Evolution Productions, a company he set up with his wife, Emily Wood, in 2005, and one which produces some of the country’s finest pantomimes - two of which you can catch here in the West Midlands this very month: Beauty And The Beast at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn and Snow White at Lichfield Garrick. What’s On recently caught up with Paul to find out more about the man behind the pun...

How did Evolution Productions come into existence, Paul?

I was a performer for years, and Emily’s father was a producer who I worked for a couple of times. I started writing and directing the pantomimes for him, and then, eventually, Emily and I had the opportunity to buy the company. When we started, we were producing three pantomimes, and we’re now producing 11. I can’t believe we’ve been going for 17 years!

What’s your own story in terms of pantomime?

I first saw pantomime at the Wolverhampton Grand - where we’re now co-producing, which I’m so excited about. I remember loving everything about it: the audience participation, the songs, the dancing - and, of course, the comedy!

Can you recall Evolution’s first-ever pantomime?

One of the first shows we produced was Cinderella at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury in 2005, with Sheila Ferguson from The Three Degrees. I think we learned a lot about producing on that show. I think maybe a lot of people don’t realise what a producer does. We take the financial risk on the show, and we’re responsible for everything, from the creative side - casting, sets, costumes, music, lighting, sound, the design of the posters etc - to the financial side - the budget etc. We have an incredible team who help us make sure that everything works.

Which ‘ingredient’ of an Evolution pantomime do you enjoy the most?

I’m a huge fan of comedy, so it’s the comedy slosh scenes - the messy scenes - which really stay in my memory. I’m also really proud of our ‘pun routines’. 

What’s been the biggest on-stage disaster you’ve had to deal with?
We had a ‘crazy bathroom’, which was a comedy routine with two tons of water. I’m sure you can imagine what went wrong… In one performance, it totally flooded the stage of the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. The audience thought it was part of the show!

The Daily Mail has included three of your shows in its list of the top-10 pantomimes, and an Evolution show won the coveted Pantomime of the Year gong at the Great British Pantomime Awards in 2017, ’18,  ’20 and ’22. What makes an Evolution production so special and different from other pantos?

Our pantomimes are big and spectacular West End-style productions, and we really care about the quality of our shows. I work very hard on making sure the scripts appeal to all ages - I make sure there is something for everyone. There’s nothing I love more than seeing a family of two or three generations laughing at the same jokes.   

Which is your favourite traditional pantomime story?

I love them all, but I think my favourites are Jack And The Beanstalk and Snow White. They’re very different, but both have strong stories with lots of scope for comedy.

What do you particularly enjoy about staging pantomimes in Lichfield and Shrewsbury, as you’re once again doing this year?
The audiences! Both theatres have great audiences who love to really enjoy themselves!

Both Lichfield Garrick and Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn have much-loved dames - Sam Rabone and Brad Fitt - who’ve been starring in Evolution pantos for many a year. What do you think makes Sam and Brad so popular with their respective audiences?

Well, firstly, they’re both great entertainers and naturally very funny - and very nice -  blokes! But I think equally important is the fact that they really connect with the audiences. 

Rabone versus Fitt, in costume, in a custard-pie fight - what’s the outcome?  

Oh, that’s a tricky one. They both love their slosh routines, so I’d pay good money to see it, but I would have to say it would probably be a draw!

Evolution Productions bring Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs to Lichfield Garrick from Fri 25 November to Sun 8 January and Beauty And The Beast to Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, from Wed 30 November to Sun 8 January