The Panto Dame Talks Cancer, Comedy and Community
Gill Sherry
The last time I saw Fraser Boyle he was sporting a wig, high heels, false bosoms, and full make-up on stage at the Gaiety Theatre. Today, thankfully, he looks a lot less like Cinderella’s ugly sister, Annie McClatchy, and much more like the talented playwright and actor that he is.
We make ourselves comfortable in the empty auditorium, not a difficult task for Fraser who feels completely at home at the Gaiety.
Although born in Dundee, he refers to himself as a ‘Fifer’ as well as an honorary Ayrshireman.
“I didn’t have any association with the Ayr Gaiety at all until 2012. It was such a great time for the town because the theatre had been closed since 2009. Everybody had worked so hard to make it work and get it back up and running so for it to open again, it was great.”
Fraser, who studied acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has performed in pantomimes virtually every year since the Gaiety re-opened its doors.
“My association with Ayrshire has just grown… being here and getting to know the volunteers and the audience members. And I know the towns. My ex-partner comes from Troon and I spent a lot of time here as a wee boy. I used to go to Butlins… before it was Craig Tara.”
When Fraser left school, he chose to study history and politics at Dundee University, but realised after the third year that it wasn’t what he wanted to do.
“I took some time out and went back to college when I was 22. I studied acting and then auditioned for the RCS and got in when I was 24. It was a three-year course to get your BA in acting.”
It’s fair to say, he hasn’t looked back since. Having been a member of Glenrothes Youth Theatre, as well as Fife Opera, he was perhaps always destined to be on stage. And pantomime, it seems, is what really makes him tick.
“If it wasn’t for pantomime I wouldn’t have a career. I’m very passionate about it… I adore pantomime and I think it’s so important that we put on a panto of quality and a panto that speaks to the local audience. It’s the lifeblood of theatre.”
Having seen Cinderella last year (I’m still laughing!) I know exactly what he’s talking about and it’s clear that a huge amount of thought goes into writing the panto which Fraser does jointly with fellow playwright, Ken Alexander.
So, what can the audience expect from this year’s panto, Mother Goose?
“They can expect a really good laugh, a story that they’ve never heard before – because Mother Goose doesn’t have a set story – but it’s also got a real heart, a real Christmas message, and something that’s just going to thoroughly entertain them.”
I’m looking forward to it already!
“There’s a transformation scene in Mother Goose,” he continues, “and I’m very much looking forward to that… I think people will be rolling in the aisles!”
The first panto that Fraser wrote for Ayr Gaiety was Jack and the Beanstalk back in 2019. He’s since written four more, plus The Scunner That Stole Christmas, a five-episode panto series which was shown on-line during Covid (and which is still available to view on YouTube).
But although he was writing for the Gaiety back in 2019, he didn’t actually start performing in the panto until 2022. Unfortunately, though, a cancer diagnosis bought his acting to a halt.
“I was helping my sister move… I was moving a box and got a twinge in my back. I let the box slide down my stomach and it knocked me in the testicle. Of course, we were laughing about that, it was quite funny, but what had actually happened was, I had disrupted the growth of a tumour.”
Numerous visits to his GP failed to identify the tumour and it wasn’t until nine weeks later that a diagnosis of testicular cancer was confirmed.
“They said it was a bruise but I knew in myself that it wasn’t right. They were giving me antibiotics and telling me it was an infection but I knew there was something… and after a week in hospital they told me to come back for an ultrasound. It was on that day that I got diagnosed.”
The age-old theatre principle ‘the show must go on’ saw the understudy perform in the remaining panto dates. Meanwhile, Fraser underwent an operation on Christmas Day.
“It was scary at the time… but I was very, very lucky. Three weeks after the operation I was told it had been stage one, it hadn’t spread, and I didn’t need chemotherapy because they’d caught it in time. That’s a message for everyone, if you think there’s something wrong with you, keeping knocking on the door because sometimes they miss it.”
It’s a serious message but he softens it with a typical panto joke.
“People have the cheek to ask ‘was it the left or the right?’ and I always say, ‘I’m all right now!’”
Following his cancer experience, Fraser became an Ambassador for Ayrshire Cancer Support and continues to support them, particularly when it comes to raising awareness.
“It’s so important to talk about it, because one in two people get cancer now. It is scary but the more people that know about it, the more awareness there is. It can be fixed, you can be cured, and you can be ok. If we normalise it, it becomes less scary.”
Wise words from someone more than qualified to talk about it.
But let’s get back to panto… How long does it take to write one?
“As much as possible, you like to think about it, then take a step back and think about it a bit more. If you leave it and come back, you get new ideas so it makes it richer. If you’re going to take your time and really make it good, I would say it takes three or four months.”
The good news is, he’s already writing the synopsis for next year’s panto which, I can exclusively reveal, is a version of Aladdin.
“We might call it Aladdie,” he laughs, referring to the fact that it will be more ‘Far East of Ayrshire’ than the Far East. “I think that’s a really good one because it’s so full of adventure and magic, and the kids love it.”
Does he have a favourite pantomime?
“I enjoy them all. Cinderella is great, it’s a classic isn’t it? But I suppose as the dame, Mother Goose is going to be great fun because it’s all about the dame’s story… so you get to have a lot of fun. In terms of my favourite, how do you choose?”
How indeed? Maybe my next question will be easier to answer. Does he prefer writing or acting?
“Oh, that’s really difficult! You’d have to put a gun to my head to answer that one!”
Maybe not…
“I couldn’t choose,” he says, clearly struggling to decide between his two great passions. “I love writing in that you can design the show, really think about the jokes and the audience experience and the structure. It’s a completely different thing to acting, it’s very methodical and thoughtful. But when you’re on stage, there’s nothing that beats that immediate response when you throw in a punchline and 500 people laugh. Nothing can beat that feeling of making people happy.”
Is that why pantomime remains so popular? The comedy aspect that makes people happy?
“Part of it is the tradition of pantomime… and it appeals to the whole family. At Christmas, when people are with their friends or family, they love it, and there’s all the memories of coming here before. It’s also that shared experience… when there’s 500 people in this auditorium and we’re all laughing at the same thing. There’s this community sense that you’re included in something that’s happening right now and it’s going to be different the next night, so this is just for you. It’s the sense of belonging and community that you get. More than ever, we need to laugh, forget our worries and be silly. That’s what good panto does. I want people to leave the auditorium feeling lighter and more joyous.”
He’s right, of course, when he refers to people having memories from coming to the Gaiety before. Many of the adults enjoying the panto this year will have done so when they were kids. The fact that they still enjoy pantomime as much now as they did then is down to the writing as well as the acting.
“You have to write panto that appeals to all age groups from zero years old all the way up to 100. And to be able to write and perform and strive for excellence… it’s such a blessing and such a gift for an actor to work on something like this where people have that kind of enthusiasm for it and where we get to have such a good connection with them and be part of their Christmas traditions.”
Something else he particularly loves about pantomime is the opportunity to improvise.
“I’ve done so many pantos. I was doing it from day one and I would always make up my own lines. The writer or director would say ‘Use that one, it’s funnier!’. Even now I’ll get a new, fresh joke out to make all the people on stage laugh as well. I enjoy that spontaneity.”
At the time of our conversation, rehearsals for Mother Goose will soon be underway, and Fraser’s excitement is palpable. Much of that, he admits, relates to the Gaiety itself.
“The Gaiety is special to me. If it wasn’t for the Gaiety and the opportunities that they’ve given me, I wouldn’t have a career. It’s tough to be an actor and to make a living and to have the opportunities that I’ve had through the Gaiety. It has sustained me artistically and financially so I have a special place in my heart for the Gaiety.”
His last words, of course, must be saved for this year’s panto, Mother Goose.
“Come to the gaiety to see Mother Goose. It would be an absolute delight to see you all. It’s a joy and a privilege of mine to put on panto here in this special theatre. Come along, we’ll make you happy!”
I don’t doubt it at all.
Mother Goose runs from 22nd December to 4th January (oh, yes it does!). For tickets, visit www.thegaiety.co.uk
