MANY grew to love him as the skinny teen who overcame a debilitating stutter and sang his way to the Pop Idol finale in 2002.
Fast forward 14 years, Gareth Gates says he "hasn't stopped working since". The 32-year-old has released three albums, had four UK number one singles and is a veteran of the musical theatre stage.
This winter he is looking forward to spending Christmas in Belfast as he plays the role of Prince Charming in the Grand Opera House's pantomime, alongside Queen-of-comedy May McFettridge, who will lead the cast as the Fairy Godmother in her 27th year of panto.
"I’ve spent a bit of time in Belfast over the years and it’s a great city and I’m really looking forward to spending a bit of time there," said Gates, who last worked in Belfast when he did a DJ set at the Kremlin nightclub.
So what does he make of his co-star John Linehan, aka May McFettridge, and can he understand a word May says? "[John] seems to be a great actor and I’m really looking forward to having a lot of banter on stage with him," Gates says diplomatically.
Pantomimes of course give actors the creative license to ad lib, and Gtes relishes the art form.
"I’ve done some great musicals over the years, which were quite serious and you have to stick to the script. Panto is just a breath of fresh air – you can just let go and have a lot of fun."
The Bradford-born performer has fond memories of pantomime as a child.
"There is a huge theatre in Bradford and we used to go there every year. Even as a child I would dream of playing the role of Prince Charming. I’ve done seven or eight pantos over the years now. Performing in panto now is just part of Christmas for me."
His girlfriend Faye Brookes, who plays Kate Connor in Coronation Street, will be joining him for Christmas. His six-year-old daughter Missy, will also be travelling to Belfast. "She really loves panto and loves seeing Daddy being the prince." And is he a Prince Charming in real life? “I try to be," he laughs.
Gates encourages audiences of all ages to join in the boos and hisses as Cinders goes from rags to riches, outwits her very ugly sisters and meets her dashing Prince Charming.
"Yes there is the fairytale side of the story which appeals to the kids, but there is a lot of adult humour in there as well. I'll even be throwing in a song of mine as well."
Gates has also recently enjoyed success as an entrepreneur. After an operation on his vocal cords in 2014 led to him giving up caffeine drinks, he started experimenting with hot drinks and through a love of coconut developed his own brand of tea.
Cuppanut Coconut Infusions started retailing this summer and has already won a number of food awards.
"I started to develop it by literally spooning desiccated coconut into empty teabags and trying it out at home. I saw this space in the market for a hot coconut drink and I invested all my own money into the product," adds Gates who will be sharing some cranberry flavour infusions with the cast in Belfast.
Despite his many professional accolades, it's his work in "heightening the awareness of stammering" that he considers his greatest success.
"My speech is a constant battle. I have to put the work in, if I don’t I have bad days. It’s purely down to however much work I put in the better my speech will be.
"During the rehearsal period I take things extremely slowly, but what is kind of crazy is that as soon as I’ve learnt a script or am playing a character it’s not an issue and I’m the same as any other actor.
"As a child and at school I didn’t know anyone else who shared the same affliction and to bring it to light and educate the nation on what having a stammer is is definitely one of my greatest achievements," says Gates, who follows The McGuire Programme for helping to overcome stammering.
Completing the line-up at the Grand Opera House panto is Coleraine actress Jayne Wisener as Cinderella, panto favourite Paddy Jenkins as Baron Hardup, with Cinderella’s Ugly Sisters being played by local actors Gerard McCabe and Tommy Wallace.
Cinderella runs at the Grand Opera House from December 3 until January 15. See Goh.co.uk
Panto round-up
Cinderella
CINDERELLA is also the star of the show at Derry’s Millennium Forum. Packed with song and dance routines, comedy, dazzling scenes, sumptuous sets and magical special effects, the panto features a star-studded Northern Ireland cast.
Veteran panto dame William Caulfield swaps his dresses for a velvet suit in the role of Buttons, Mark Lamb plays Prince Charming, Kathryn Rutherford is Cinderella, Orla Mullan is the Fairy Godmother and Keith Lynch and James Lecky are the Ugly Sisters. From December 2 –31. Millenniumforum.co.uk.
Aladdin
:IS IT a high-flying bathmat? Is it a turbo-charged Persian rug? No, it’s Aladdin, Princess Jasmine and Widow Twankey gliding into Belfast Waterfront on their magic carpet. Children and grown-ups are invited to be whisked off and become part of the adventure as it unfold in a magical far-off land of goodies, baddies, princesses, genies and hidden treasure.
Directed by Lisa May and produced by Martin Lynch, Aladdin is brought to life by panto dame Ross Anderson-Doherty as Widow Twankey. Aladdin also stars Jolene O’Hara as Jasmine and Gavin Peden as Aladdin. Continues until January 8. Waterfront.co.uk.
The Gingerbread Mix-up
VISITORS to Belfast's Lyric Theatre this Christmas will meet Primrose: apple of her Dad’s eye, bane of her Mum’s life and all-round little monster. Cast out in the forest with only her Nintendo for company, Primrose meets Pardon – cool cat turned witch’s assistant, with a promising sideline in Big Bad Wolf impersonations.
Can Pardon save Primrose from the evil old witch’s cooking pot? Will the witch find out who’s been eating her gingerbread house? Will Primrose ever finish level 4 of Bandor, Master of Neverworld? Find out in The Gingerbread Mix-Up, starring Kyron Bourke and Christina Nelson. From December 7 – January 7. Lyrictheatre.co.uk.
Pinocchio
PINOCCHIO, the story of a puppet who longed to be a real boy, gets a modern retelling in Belfast's MAC theatre this Christmas. Children's theatre company Cahoots NI takes audiences to The Land of Grand Illusions and back through a combination of live music and magic.
"The story starts with us meeting Gepetto who, like every parent, doesn't always get it right. In his wood cabin one magical day, he begins to work on his latest carving and can’t believe it when that piece of wood begins to talk back. Young audiences will love seeing Pinocchio come to life, literally, on stage. We recommend that you keep your eyes peeled as there will be things going on that you just won’t quite believe," says director Paul Bosco McEneaney. Continues until January 1. Themaclive.com.
Aladdin
ALADDIN takes Ballymena on a Magic Carpet Ride in c21 Theatre Company's family adventure at The Braid Arts Centre. Bringing the role of Aladdin to life is Belfast actor Curtis Patrick, alongside Antrim born Sarah McFarlane who will be playing Princess Jasmine.
"Aladdin is a fun, wacky show that provides just the right amount of laughs to get everyone excited for Christmas. While the show is perfect for the kids, we really want to keep the adults entertained too, and our Widow Twanky character, played by local lad, Neil Keery, is sure to have the older kids in the audience in hysterics," says c21 co founder and producer Stephen Kelly, about the company's 10th panto. From December 9 –22. Thebraid.com.
Robinson Crusoe
HOLD tight at Coleraine's Riverside Theatre were Robinson Crusoe and the daring Caribbean pirates take to the stage in the Panto Company's production of Daniel Defoe's classic book.
Robinson Crusoe is the ale of the heroic captain of the Good Ship Lizzie. His mission: to seek out wondrous treasures, discover strange new lands, and to boldly go where no action-packed adventure has gone before. But when Crusoe is shipwrecked, he has more than new lands and treasure on his mind. December 5-10. Riversidetheatre.org.uk.
Cinderella
WILL Cinderella get to go to the ball, will she meet the prince of her dreams and live happily ever after, or will she forever remain in the evil clutches of two of the ugliest, and nastiest, sisters you’ve ever clapped eyes on? Be amazed as a little bit of romance and a lot of magic combine to create mayhem at midnight at Armagh's Market Place Theatre.
A fabulous cast of larger-than-life characters led by Rea Campbell as Buttons and Debra Hill as Cinderella tell the tale of glass slippers, glistening carriages and glamorous gowns. Recommended for children aged five to 95. December 3-4. Marketplacearmagh.com.
