Panto stars Danny, Clive and Joe McElderry are all set to make a big splash with The Little Mermaid

With panto rehearsals in full tilt at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, it's not easy to pin down its stars Clive and Danny.

The chance comes at the point of the interval break during a run-through of this year's show The Little Mermaid and, as their hordes of fans no doubt will be glad to hear, in the interview madcap duo are very much the same off-stage as they are on. Father and son Clive Webb and Danny Adams have been doing pantomime at the city theatre for 19 years straight - save for Covid's lockdown - and for the past four years singer Joe McElderry has been their co-star.

It's proved an inspired combination and such a success that they all have signed up to do panto together again in 2025. While The Little Mermaid is a more unusual choice for pantomime, next year's traditional-sounding pick of Aladdin - Clive and Danny's big 20th show - will no doubt deliver something just as unique when this lot get their hands on it.

READ MORE: County Durham's very own handmade chocolate shop gearing up for their busiest Christmas yet

READ MORE: Delays and cancellations on Tyne Valley railway line raised in Parliament

Leading West End producer Michael Harrison, who is from the North East, is the creator of the Theatre Royal's annual panto and his golden touch has turned it into the fastest-selling in the country. Audience regulars know what to expect in terms of Clive and Danny's trademark slapstick humour and they love it.

When Joe joined the cast - whose regulars also include dame favourite Chris Hayward, now clocking up his 17th consecutive year at the Theatre Royal - they just gelled, Danny tells me in a rare moment of seriousness. When I ask about annual panto's winning formula, he says: "The winning formula is we all get on really well, off-stage as well.

"When you get someone new in a close team, you never quite know how you're going to get on," he adds but when Joe came in they "instantly" clicked - "on and off stage".

They are now friends in their normal lives although it seems that wind-up merchant Danny likes to keep Joe on his toes, just as he tries to do during the panto's long run by adding little changes or surprises "to keep things fresh!" he says. This year he plays Danny Crabstix, best friend to mermaid Ariel who is eager to explore the land above their sea kingdom after her encounter with a handsome human prince.

His dad is Clive Cod and Joe is Dishy Fishy who he likes to interrupt when he attempts to sing. "When you look at the Joe McElderry situation, it's a bit like Morecambe & Wise and Des O'Connor," says Clive, referencing the legendary TV show that would see the double-act tease Des about his singing.

Luckily, the singer gets to belt out some big numbers, including a touch of opera this year, as Dishy Fishy. When I catch up with him later, he says of his new role. "I'm playing a fish so they love to give me lovely glamorous characters to add to my CV!

"I think it's literally just a character Danny Adams can take the mick out of, as always." He adds: "It's nice to be doing a brand new show and it's fresh and different - we're all excited by that."

Prior to joining Danny and Clive, Joe had performed in panto around the country. Now that he's part of the Theatre Royal team, there's none of that first time 'getting to know each other' period.

"We kind of hit the ground running," he says. "We know what each other are going to do; we know how each other work and it allows us to have more fun in the rehearsal room and play around with things.

"With me and Danny, I kind of guess where he's going to go with something and think 'right, here we go'!" When I ask if Danny attempts to trip him up, sometimes quite literally, he answers: "Always - on-stage, off-stage, everyday life!"

He's always like that, says Joe, of Danny's constant jokes and comedy. The closeness among the core cast comes across in the show.

It goes for the whole ensemble, says Danny, which also includes Kylie Ann Ford and Christina Berriman Dawson, who have been with them for the past few years and here are playing the sidekicks to Hayward's evil Sea Witch, and Wayne Smith who has had leading roles in the panto now for around eight years and is cast this time as Ariel's dad King Triton.

"The core team see each other throughout the year, we're good friends and that goes onto the stage", says Danny. That friendliness extends from the audience too and one feeds off the other.

Clive reckons the Geordie audiences are "brilliant". He says: "We found that out when we first came here - they're right into slapstick."

They get the "daft humour" adds Danny. Before making Newcastle their seasonal home, the pair performed in panto across the country and noted how different cities react.

"The Geordies embrace football like no other city," says Danny, giving an analogy. "They react to the pantomime like they react to football.

"They've got that real desire for it. I think that's why it does so well." The Theatre Royal's panto also has one of the longest runs in the country and, following its final rehearsals this week, The Little Mermaid will open on Tuesday, January 26 and continue until January 12 with only Christmas Day and Boxing Day off.

It's an extraordinary commitment and, given the energy of the show and the fact there are three performances on a Saturday and two on a selection of other days you can't help wonder how they sustain it. What's more, two days after the season wraps up, Joe will be going straight into the musical Joseph.

"We open in Sunderland at the Empire and we're coming back to the Theatre Royal in June," he says. "So no rest for the wicked and two totally different parts - I go from a fish to a Pharaoh," he laughs.

After Joseph, he's hoping to do his own tour then it'll be back here for panto. Being constantly busy in a career taking in musicals and concerts, he says he's been "very lucky".

"When you do a job you enjoy it doesn't feel like hard work. It can be tiring - but tiring and hard work I think are two different things."

The entire cast - which again includes Danny's brother Mick Potts as well as newcomers Maggie Lynne and Christian Maynard, playing Ariel and Prince, and a dancing ensemble - will be giving their all when panto season gets under way next week and there will be the big reveal of what Danny calls an "unbelievable" set for the under-water tale.

He warns audiences: "There is potential you could get wet". And this time he's not joking. For ticket availability for The Little Mermaid see here.