Hi Lesley, thank you so much for chatting with Stage to Page. What first drew you to performing, and do you remember the moment you realised showbusiness was where you belonged?

I first wanted to be an actress from the age of four. The first time I ever went on stage was at the New Theatre in Northampton, where I sang a song from Hansel and Gretel. It went, “With my hands I clap, clap, clap, with my feet I tap, tap, tap…” - and I realised that was it, that was my life.

During my teenage years, I was part of The Masque Theatre in Northampton, which I’m now a patron of, and I went to see absolutely everything there. I had an elocution teacher, and there was never really any question that I’d do anything else. My headmistress once told my parents, “You have to put Lesley on the stage.” And that was that!

You’ve had such a varied and celebrated career. What keeps bringing you back to live performance?

When I left drama school in 1967, there was no Netflix, no streaming, none of that - even the Coronation I watched on a little 12-inch black and white TV! So, naturally, it was all about theatre back then, and that’s what I went into the business to do: Chekhov, Shakespeare, all those classics.

After Birds of a Feather, everything opened up - I suddenly had the chance to do so many different things. I’ve done Strictly Come Dancing, worked with Mel Brooks on Young Frankenstein, filmed Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome for the BBC where I met - and even blessed - the Pope! Every job has been completely different, and that’s what keeps it exciting. I never know what’s around the corner, and I never get bored.

You’ve become something of a pantomime favourite over the years. What do you love most about performing in panto?

I adore pantomime because it embodies everything wonderful about live theatre. It’s magical, funny, beautiful to look at, and full of music, lights and laughter. When you’re playing a wicked character, it’s especially fun - you can make people laugh, frighten them a little, pull the reins in when you need to. It’s such a rich mix of comedy, storytelling and spectacle, and it brings in audiences of all ages. Plus, it’s just so much fun - and usually with a lovely company.

Do you remember your first pantomime experience - whether watching one as a child or performing in one?

The first pantomime I ever saw was at the Royal Theatre in Northampton, starring Lionel Hamilton, though I can’t remember which show it was! Later on, I saw Where the Rainbow Ends in London - not a panto, but magical in its own way.

My first pantomime as a performer was Babes in the Wood with Terry Molloy, who was in The Archers. I think it was in Birmingham. Then after Birds of a Feather, my first panto was Cinderella at Richmond Theatre, playing the Fairy Godmother. We later took a huge production to Birmingham Hippodrome - the biggest I’ve ever done - back when girls still played Principal Boys. We even broke box office records down in Southampton!

Panto is so different from anything else - it’s interactive, it lets you play with the audience, and in a way, it’s the only time as an actor you can be a comedian and break that fourth wall. And for so many children, it’s their very first experience of live theatre, which is so special.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility knowing you’re introducing a new generation to theatre?

Absolutely. I believe every single audience deserves your absolute best. You never “walk through” a show - not ever. Every person there has paid to see you, so you owe them 150%.

I never corpse unless it’s planned or something genuinely goes wrong, and even then, you take the audience with you. I’ve done four pantos now with Rob Rinder, and we both agree on that. I remember once finishing a show where people started leaving before the blackout, and I said, “Please don’t go until the very end - it matters!”

Every show should feel like opening night. If I ever found myself walking through it, I’d stop doing it altogether.

How do you prepare for something as high-energy and interactive as a pantomime?

Honestly, I don’t have a set routine anymore - after so many years, it comes naturally. I make sure I know my lines and who’s on stage with me, of course. I rarely go back to the dressing room between scenes because I like watching from the wings - you can feel how the audience is responding and adjust accordingly.

This year in Woking will be such a joy because I’ve worked with everyone before - the dancers, the principal cast, the choreographer, the director. It’ll feel like one big reunion.

Without giving too much away, what excites you most about returning to panto this year?

Everything! I love live theatre, I love pantomime - and I love that I can break the fourth wall and really talk to the audience. If someone laughs unexpectedly or there’s a handsome man in the front row, well, you can have a bit of fun with that! It keeps it alive and unpredictable, and that’s what makes it magical.

What’s one role or project from your career that you look back on with particular fondness?

Oh, there are so many. But outside of acting, Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome was extraordinary. Eight of us travelled from the Swiss Alps to Rome - sometimes walking 11 miles a day, sleeping somewhere new every night. We followed the Via Francigena, getting our pilgrim passports stamped along the way, and when we reached Rome, we spent half an hour with the Pope. And somehow, I ended up blessing him! I don’t know anyone else who can say that. It was just an unforgettable experience.

You’ve worked with so many incredible people. Are there any moments or lessons that have stayed with you?

I’ve learned a lot from watching others - how they hold an audience, their timing, their energy. Derek Jacobi, for instance, has this magnetic stage presence that just draws you in. Miriam Margolyes is another - when she performs Dickens, she’s utterly mesmerising.

When you’re working with someone, you’re inside the scene, so you see them differently - through your character. But from the wings, you really see the craft. I still love watching theatre as much as being in it.

Our blog is called Stage to Page - if you could adapt any book or story for the stage, what would it be?

My absolute favourite is Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy - Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light. It’s already been adapted, of course, but it’s just magnificent storytelling.

If you could share the stage with anyone, past or present, who would it be?

Probably Derek Jacobi - though one of the most extraordinary scenes I’ve ever seen on stage was between Henry Goodman and Keith Baxter in Arturo Ui. Keith played a drunken actor teaching Henry’s character to walk properly, and it turned into a goose-step - it was just unforgettable. Keith was a dear friend, and every time I saw him I’d say, “That was the best scene I’ve ever seen in my life.”

What do you hope audiences will take away after seeing you in Snow White this year?

I hope they leave with a renewed love for theatre - that they want to come back, to see more, and to support it all year round. But above all, I hope they leave having had a truly magical time.

You can book tickets to see Lesley Joseph in Snow White at New Victoria Theatre in Woking, here.