“I went up on the scaffolding to the ceiling and was touching the ornamental elephant just by the gods. “She goes to drama club on a Saturday and is a wee drama queen,” he boasts proudly, adding he can't wait to perform in the Grand Opera House's newly restored auditorium, after being invited for a sneak preview. In 2021 he hopes to take to the stage in Goldilocks and the Three Bears – a first for him and one that both himself and his granddaughter Eve are looking forward to. “There is stuff happening at the moment I'd love to get on stage and comment on, but we will wait until next year and then the politicians will all get their comeuppance," he jokes. Local politicians often provide fuel for Linehan's panto one-liners.
“There are comedians who can do stand-up online, but I have to see and respond to the faces of my audiences,” he says. Linehan hasn't been tempted to take his comedy online.
“During lockdown and when we were ill we were obviously shielding from them, so after 30 years of doing two shows on Christmas Eve and two shows on Boxing Day, I'm just going to try and enjoy our time together.”
Thankful to be back to full health, Linehan is preparing for a very different Christmas, one in which he hopes to simply spend more time with his family, including his three grandchildren Johnny (21), Eve (4) and Paul (2). I came out of my quarantine on the Wednesday and they shut the bars on the Friday,” he laughs. I would have had 10 hours sound sleep, but by 11in the morning I was ready for my bed again, totally exhausted. “I was just so tired and had no appetite.
However, this summer both Linehan and his wife developed Covid-19. Thankfully the quick treatment and ongoing medication has led to him having no further problems since. Then the other leg wouldn't move.”Īlthough he regained feeling again shortly afterwards, he rang a medical friend for advice and was encouraged to make his way to the hospital emergency department as soon as possible. “I was watching telly and went to stand up and couldn't move my leg. In February, shortly after the end of the pantomime run he suffered a TIA (mini stroke). Linehan admits that 2020 has “been an absolute nightmare” for him. They were there for me when I needed them, and we all need to obey the rules to keep everyone safe,” says the 69-year-old. "But it's better not going to theatre than ending up in Milltown cemetery or somewhere like that. “It's the first time in 31 years I will have missed a show," he says. Even going into town and walking by the theatre is going to be strange this year.”īut two health scares earlier this year put things into perspective for Linehan. “ Paddy Jenkins, myself and whoever the principles were would have regularly gone over to The Crown for a pint after the performances. I did a panto a number of years ago with Ray Meagher, who is Alf from Home and Away, and I would still chat on the phone to him on a regular basis,” he says. “When you do 85 shows in six weeks, as well as two weeks of rehearsals, the cast become friends for life. His thoughts are echoed by Belfast comic Linehan, who is best known for portraying the character of May McFettridge. Fingers and toes crossed, that this vaccine comes in, Covid goes out and we move on, and in next year's panto we can make jokes about it all." “Pantomimes are so important for the income of theatres. I've been going to the Forum for so long now and the musicians, crew and front-of-house staff are like a family and I'm really going to miss them this Christmas,” says 61-year-old Lurgan-born comedian Caulfield. “As I spend all year performing alone, I really enjoying working as part of a team. Used to having just Christmas Day off over the festive period, they will both being experiencing a much quieter Christmas.Īs well as the interaction with the audience, what both agree they will miss most is the camaraderie with their fellow cast and crew. Two men who are particularly missing the panto seasons are John Linehan, aka May McFettridge, resident panto dame at Belfast's Grand Opera House (GOH) for the past 30 years, and William Caulfield, who has been the panto Dame at Derry's Millennium Forum for the past 14 years. A VISIT to the pantomime is as much a part of Christmas as decorating the tree and giving presents but sadly as the theatre doors remain closed this festive season due to Covid-19 restrictions, the sounds of children's laughter at the on-stage pantomime antics won't be heard this year.