Clive Rowe
Meet the man behind the dress – and in the director’s seat – at Hackney Empire’s panto
Clive Rowe in a jingle bell dress, from a previous panto show. Costume by Cleo Pettitt
Clive Rowe MBE is a dab hand at wearing heels: he donned his first pair while playing the Dame at the Nottingham Playhouse pantomime in 1989.
Thirty-six years later, the Olivier award-winner actor is at the Hackney Empire panto – this time not in a frock, but in the director’s seat.
Clive says: “It’s a family here. I’ve done pantos with other production companies, but it’s not the same. It’s a very special environment at Hackney.
“Hackney Empire makes me feel incredibly welcome, and I love the people who come and watch the panto here. We have people coming in from all over the world to see it.”
Clive has been part of the Empire panto family for 18 seasons. In 2009 he was nominated for an Olivier award for his role as the Dame in ‘Mother Goose’.
Known for his outrageous outfits, velvety singing voice and his hilarious interactions with the audience, Clive’s absence on stage will be missed by many.
He explains: “I’m not doing the Dame this year because I haven’t done ‘Cinderella’ for the past five or six of them – I don’t enjoy performing the Ugly Sisters. But I’m enjoying the process of directing it! It’s good for me to have an outside view and not also perform.
“I’m a massive traditionalist when it comes to panto. There are only five true pantos for me, which are ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, ‘Aladdin’, ‘Dick Whittington’, ‘Mother Goose’ and ‘Cinderella’.
“My favourite panto is ‘Mother Goose’ because it’s the only one that’s about the Dame – the rest are about other people. It’s also a beautiful story. What does fame do to you, how does it affect you? The loss of innocence. Plus, it’s got a goose in it and a big, gold egg!”
Clive co-directed his first pantomime with Tony Whittle at the Empire in 2021, which he also starred in. He has shared the Empire’s stage with ‘EastEnders’ Tameka Empson and ‘Doctor Who’ star Sharon D Clarke in past pantos.
Clive says: “I don’t mind what panto you go to so long as you support your local arts. I do think Hackney is one of the best – it’s about family and it’s intergenerational. It’s for ages two to 102.
“The Hackney panto is about enjoyment of the evening – it talks to the community. It’s not trying to preach to you, it just wants you to have a great time. I want the adults to come and enjoy it and for the children to have fun.”
Away from the world of pantomime, Clive won an Olivier for best performance in a supporting role as Nicely Nicely Johnson in the 1997 revival of ‘Guys and Dolls’.
More recently he’s been in the hit BBC TV series ‘So Awkward’, the 2017 film ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as Cuisinier, and in the 2023 on-stage production of ‘Sister Act’ as Eddie Souther.
Clive continues: “I’m proud of it all – I never imagined I would be who I am now with the accolades I have. At 14 I couldn’t decide what job I wanted to do, I was failing my exams.
“And now I’m directing the Hackney Empire panto, being nominated for awards and getting an Olivier.
“I have exceeded everything I have ever dreamed of. Even the bad performances help with the good ones. I regard myself lucky to have been in everything.”
‘Cinderella’ is on at Hackney Empire until 31 December. Book tickets, or call the box office on: 020 8985 2424.