AHEAD of the start of the Christmas pantomime production of Aladdin at Rhyl Pavilion Theatre on December 10, we sat down with actor Jake Canuso, who will play the role of villain Abanazar.
Best known for playing barman Mateo in the hit series Benidorm, Jake plans on incorporating elements of the character in his pantomime role, including the Spanish accent.
“I’m here because of Benidorm – let’s not beat around the bush – so how do you incorporate my character in Benidorm into Abanazar,” said Jake.
“I played Abanazar in my first panto but a very old, traditional one and I had no idea about panto back then - I wasn’t brought up in England, so it’s not a part of my culture.”
The Swiss actor hails from near Zurich, and originally worked as a dancer, appearing in music videos for artists like the Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, Annie Lennox and Emma Bunton.
Despite not being brought up around pantomimes, Jake has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve with his character and the panto altogether.
Jake continued: “Everyone knows I’m the baddie, but don’t scare the kids, let them in on the joke now and then – I’ll enjoy playing my sort of Benidorm character, playing with the ladies and all that.
“The spirit of panto is about having the most magical time, not about anybody being scared - a lot of times, the baddie just plays the baddie – they’ll boo you anyway but it’s important to let them know I’m not really a baddie.”
“I want it just to be fun and a spectacle and see if we can do something different than the obvious with Abanazar.”
MORE: Aladdin panto coming to Rhyl Pavilion Theatre this Christmas!
Jake had never been to Rhyl prior to preparing for the show, and said the thrill of working with new people in new places drew him to the role.
He added: “I was really excited coming up to Rhyl, working with new people.
“There have been some difficult years for a lot of people, so just give them a moment where they can let go."
The Aladdin production will open on December 10 and will run until December 31, with two hours and fifteen minutes of toe-tapping song and dance.
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