Matt Baker says Darlington’s Christmas pantomime will offer a “spark and a gem of magic” even the London Palladium could not match.
The County Durham-born television presenter will play Jack in Beauty and the Beast at Darlington Hippodrome this Christmas.
After performing in pantomimes across the country, Baker found it an easy decision to take the role so close to home.
He said: “This is the purpose of doing this panto here on the home turf, my neck of the woods,
"I feel very grateful for everything that this area has given me and really helped me with my career."
He added: “All the gift of the gab stuff that I’ve made a living out of came from growing up around here.
"I’ve been all over the world, I’ve seen some incredible stuff, and here is where I’m happiest.”
The former Blue Peter and The One Show presenter has previously performed at venues including the London Palladium and Sunderland Empire. but believes his connection with North East audiences will set Darlington apart.
“I was excited about the London Palladium panto, but I think this has a lovely little spark and a gem of magic that that couldn’t bring.
“I’ve done a lot of this stuff around the country, but never with the love and connection of that North East audience.”
(Image: Sarah Caldecott)
Baker will play Jack, Belle’s brother, admitting anyone looking for Jack in the traditional Beauty and the Beast story may struggle.
Joking about the addition, he imagined audiences asking: “‘I didn’t realise Belle had a brother’, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, me neither.’”
The show also marks a return to pantomime for Baker and comes around 20 years after his first, when he played Aladdin in Llandudno.
Steve Arnott, who worked on that production, will reunite with Baker in Darlington as part of the ensemble cast.
“It’s like everything’s coming together,” Baker said.
“Honestly, it’s so special.”
The festive run will also allow him to combine two very different parts of his life, with Baker looking forward to returning to his County Durham farm between performances.
He said: “Normally in my life, I’m moving from one place to another, doing something or filming stories about this, stories about that.
(Image: Paul Stuart/PA)
“I’ll be staying at our farm, feeding the sheep in the morning, treading the boards in the afternoon and really marrying those two worlds together.”
The unpredictability of pantomime is another attraction for a presenter with years of experience in live television.
Far from worrying about things going off script, Baker believes those moments can create some of the best interactions with an audience.
He said: “I enjoy it when things go off-piste.
“When people think, ‘Oh, that’s gone wrong’, they almost want it to go wrong - It’s part of the concept and the culture of that.”
It's not just about laughs, though, with Baker believing pantomime has an important role in introducing younger audiences to theatre; a Christmas show is often a child’s first experience of seeing a live production.
“You’re introducing a whole new generation to the concept of theatre,” he said.
“There is responsibility there, but there’s responsibility for it to be fun.”
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And after a career built around family entertainment, he believes pantomime can still provide a shared experience at a time when families increasingly watch television separately.
For families planning a Christmas trip to the Hippodrome, Baker is confident they will not be disappointed.
He said: “I’ll guarantee that you’ll have a laugh and you’ll leave feeling happy and uplifted.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are you will leave here smiling and in the spirit of Christmas - this will be an absolute belter.”
Beauty and the Beast runs at Darlington Hippodrome from December 11 to January 3.