Star of the local stage lands big break in Helix panto

This year's Helix Christmas Panto is Beauty and The Beast and AIMS nominee Chris Corroon is about to see his name in lights for the first time this season having landed the role as Beast for the three month-run starting in November.

Having cut his teeth in the Mullingar Arts Centre stage, and gone onto make his mark on the Tullamore and Clara musical associations in roles as diverse as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, and the AIMS nominated Mungojerrie in CATS, Chris from Kloonagh in Ballinagore has been acting and singing on stage for the last seven years.

Many will remember him featuring on the Ray D'Arcy Show earlier this year when he played the part of Danny Zuko in Grease for Olivia Newton Jon. Or you may know him as the friendly face in the homewear section of Shaw's Department Store on Mullingar's Austin Friar Street.

Now, the 29-year-old is about to commence two weeks of rehearsals before the Helix Panto opens on November 24, running twice daily until January 24.

“I am so delighted to have got the part, I can't tell you how much,” says Chris, who has been given four months off work from Shaw's to take the role.

“I was suggested for a part by Colin Hughes in Tullamore who's done the panto for the last 10 years. They were looking for new people, so he suggested that I audition.

“To be honest I didn't think I'd have a hope. When I got there I saw fellas over from the West End auditioning, and the likes of Brian Gilligan who was in the musical Once at the time, everyone there had professional CVs as long as their arm.

“So I auditioned for the role of Gaston, but I told them I wasn't precious about a part and I'd take the role of a tree if I could,” he laughs. “Anyway I got a call back but this time to audition for the role of Beast. They told me it would take a couple of days before they got back to me, and to be honest, I still didn't think I had a hope. But then five minutes later, Claire Tighe who runs the Helix Panto ran out to me and told me I had the part – I nearly fell out of my standing.”

Chris who is making the short term move to Dublin in November says he couldn't be more excited to get started.

“This is what I want to do, and this is my first big professional gig so I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.”

Of the production itself, Chris says there's something there for everyone to enjoy.

“It's Beauty and The Beast, so it has all the goodies and badies, and they've still kept that age old romantic tale, but with a comic spin on things. I haven't seen the script in full yet but there's plenty of laughs in there for the adults as well as the kids.”

Chris, who had to turn down a scholarship to American College Dublin, where he planned to study musical theatre, for the role as Beast will be starring alongside Orla Jennings as Belle.
Chris's lucky break comes in what started out as a difficult 12 months for the Corroon family.

“It's great for my mum Betty because she's so proud, and she knows musical theatre is what makes me happy. It was a hard year because we lost dad a few months back, but then things just started to go right – I got on the Ray D'Arcy Show, I got accepted into arts college, and now this. So dad is definitely looking down on me and giving me a helping hand.”

* Tickets from €19.50 are on sale now at www.thehelix.ie.