Bucks &amp; Oxon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_76_br2_2750.jpg" alt="The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook Bradley Riches as Peter Pan" class="wp-image-172946" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_76_br2_2750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_76_br2_2750-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_76_br2_2750-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_76_br2_2750-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook is setting sail for Aylesbury in 2024</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-playing-peter-pan-in-the-aylesbury-waterside-panto-the-further-adventures-of-peter-pan-in-december-give-us-the-elevator-pitch">You&#8217;re playing Peter Pan in the Aylesbury Waterside Panto <em>The Further Adventures of Peter Pan </em>in December &#8211; give us the elevator pitch</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s the story of Peter Pan with all the big characters, but a bit further down the line. Obviously Peter Pan isn&#8217;t older, because he doesn&#8217;t grow up, but he&#8217;s moved on from Wendy&#8217;s family to his next adventures with Tinkerbell. And the end goal, as ever, is to stick it to Captain Hook.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Further-Adventures-of-Peter-Pan-cast.jpg" alt="The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook cast" class="wp-image-172944" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Further-Adventures-of-Peter-Pan-cast.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Further-Adventures-of-Peter-Pan-cast-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Further-Adventures-of-Peter-Pan-cast-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Further-Adventures-of-Peter-Pan-cast-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-you-been-in-a-panto-before">Have you been in a panto before?</h2>



<p>No, this is my first one. I was meant to do one in 2022 but then I started filming for <em>Heartstopper</em> so I had to cancel. I guess that makes this my panto debut! I&#8217;m excited &#8211; I don&#8217;t know what to expect and but it&#8217;s weird and wacky and I love that stuff, so I think I&#8217;ll love it. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-are-you-feeling-about-it">How are you feeling about it?</h2>



<p>Well, you want them to shout and scream (we have water-guns that should help with that!), and that&#8217;s very different to what I&#8217;ve done before. But the audience will be mainly kids and panto is a lot of children&#8217;s first experience of theatre, so it&#8217;s really special that I can fulfil that role for these kids.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-let-s-talk-wardrobe-will-we-see-peter-pan-in-tights-again-this-season">Let&#8217;s talk wardrobe &#8211; will we see Peter Pan in tights again this season?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_80_br2_2806.jpg" alt="The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook Peter Pan, Smee and Captain Hook Bradley Riches Andy Collins" class="wp-image-172948" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_80_br2_2806.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_80_br2_2806-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_80_br2_2806-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_80_br2_2806-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>No, I actually don&#8217;t wear tights! I have green trainers, green long football socks, and then this green vest covered in leaves and a little pouch for my magic dust. It&#8217;ll look good but it needs to be practical too, to protect against the little-discussed issue of rubbing whilst flying.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-would-be-your-dream-panto-partner">Who would be your dream panto partner?</h2>



<p>David Potts. We still see each other quite a lot since <em>Celebrity Big Brother</em> &#8211; probably about three times a month &#8211; and speak to each other every day, even though he lives up north. David&#8217;s hilarious &#8211; he&#8217;d make a great witch, or something. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-else-are-you-still-in-touch-with-from-the-big-brother-house">Who else are you still in touch with from the <em>Big Brother </em>house?</h2>



<p>I speak to Colson [Smith] every week, Nikita [Kuzmin, of <em>Strictly</em>] a little bit, Fern [Britton] and Sharon [Osbourne] &#8211; Sharon emails me! Fern is from Bucks and she spoke about cocktails at the Crazy Bear! I remember her saying how much she liked Marlow, she talked a lot about Beaconsfield and said she loves the Aylesbury Waterside which is handy! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-celebrity-big-brother-is-some-people-s-idea-of-hell-was-it-fun">Celebrity Big Brother is some people&#8217;s idea of hell &#8211; was it fun?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Bradley_Riches_CBB-1000x667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-172953" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Bradley_Riches_CBB-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Bradley_Riches_CBB-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Bradley_Riches_CBB-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Bradley_Riches_CBB.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bradley on Celebrity Big Brother | Credit: ITV</figcaption></figure>



<p>I loved it. I met loads of great people who have become friends, and even though it was definitely a weird experience being locked away like that, I had so much fun. It was actually quite therapeutic &#8211; the worst worry you have is &#8220;Am I going home tomorrow?&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-most-surprising-thing-that-viewers-don-t-see">What&#8217;s the most surprising thing that viewers don&#8217;t see?</h2>



<p>I think it&#8217;s that you genuinely don&#8217;t see anyone else for the whole time you&#8217;re in there. People assume you see producers and crew around, say good morning to them and all, but you really don&#8217;t see a soul. You can hear them through the walls sometimes, but that&#8217;s it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creepy-what-would-you-say-is-your-most-memorable-showbiz-moment-so-far">Creepy! What would you say is your most memorable showbiz moment so far?</h2>



<p>Just after I came out of the <em>Big Brother</em> house I was in a show called <em>Babies</em> at The Other Palace, and we had a really fun boy band number about falling in love at school. On the final night, we got a standing ovation mid-song, which was pretty special, and at the end of the number the band waited while we received another standing ovation. I&#8217;ve never felt quite that level of love from an audience and I&#8217;ll never forget that moment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-what-s-been-your-worst-job-so-far">And what&#8217;s been your worst job so far?</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s hard to pick one. If this counts, I used to work in a nightclub in Hitchin in  Hertfordshire, and my shifts started at 9pm and I wouldn&#8217;t get home until 4am. Doing that and then having [drama] college on the Monday was really rough. The club would often run out of glasses completely, too, so no one could order drinks and I&#8217;d have to run about hunting for spent glasses in the dark!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sounds-hellish-let-s-lighten-it-up-when-were-you-happiest">Sounds hellish. Let&#8217;s lighten it up &#8211; when were you happiest?</h2>



<p>Probably straight after I came out of <em>Big Brother</em>. It was really exciting to see my family and my partner again after a month without contact. It&#8217;s so unique to go away for a month and have no contact at all with people, that just never happens, so it was a really cool feeling to see them again, having thought about them all the time while I was in there. They threw me a surprise party when I got out, too, and who doesn&#8217;t love a surprise party?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-most-outlandish-dressing-room-demand-you-ve-heard-of">What&#8217;s the most outlandish dressing room demand you&#8217;ve heard of?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve only ever really worked with young people who don&#8217;t tend to be very particular, but Sharon Osbourne had a few demands. She had her own room in the <em>Big Brother </em>house while the rest of us all shared, and there were rumours that she had a make-up and hair stylist. She&#8217;d wake up and slip into a Gucci satin two-piece to make her breakfast, and then she&#8217;d go back to her room and when she came back, everything looked polished and styled. Every outfit she owned was worth like twenty grand, it was crazy. I think Louis Walsh started that rumour, but he&#8217;s a bit of a stirrer so I don&#8217;t know if we can trust it!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-was-sharon-the-biggest-diva-on-the-show">Was Sharon the biggest diva on the show?</h2>



<p>No, not at all. She was one of the nicest people in there &#8211; whenever I came into the kitchen she&#8217;d be washing the dishes and we&#8217;d tell her, &#8216;No, girl, sit down!&#8217;, but she was naturally really helpful. And to be honest, she wanted her own room &#8211; as she should. She&#8217;s earned it. No, Marisha Wallace was the biggest diva in there, no question. A true show-biz diva in all the best ways.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-any-pre-show-rituals">Do you have any pre-show rituals?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Babies-The-Musical-Photo-Matt-Crockett-8-1000x666.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-172954" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Babies-The-Musical-Photo-Matt-Crockett-8-1000x666.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Babies-The-Musical-Photo-Matt-Crockett-8-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Babies-The-Musical-Photo-Matt-Crockett-8-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Babies-The-Musical-Photo-Matt-Crockett-8.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bradley in <em>Babies</em> at The Other Palace, 2024 | Credit: Matt Crockett</figcaption></figure>



<p>Not really, just lots of water, lots of sleep, learn my lines well in advance. I had a special handshake with one of the cast in <a href="https://www.westendtheatre.com/191704/shows/babies-the-musical-tickets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Babies</em></a> which we did every time we went on for a particular scene. It became a bit of a ritual, and when she was off one night and I had to teach the handshake to the understudy!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-dream-role">What&#8217;s your dream role?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve always thought I&#8217;d make a great Seymour from <em>Little Shop of Horrors.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-favourite-musical">Do you have a favourite musical?</h2>



<p>I often say <em>Little Shop </em>but that&#8217;s probably just because I want to be in it. It has to be <em>Legally Blonde</em> &#8211; I can watch that over and over and never get bored of it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-true-you-ve-written-a-children-s-book">Is it true you&#8217;ve written a children&#8217;s book? </h2>



<p>Yes, it&#8217;s called <em>A Different Kind of Superpower</em>. A lot of the stories are my own experiences growing up, and I wanted to contribute to positive representation for the neuro-diverse community. I wanted to make neuro-diverse kids feel seen, and I originally wrote it as a play but realised I could be accessed by more people as a book. When I was younger, I never used words as a form of communication, and my grandparents and parents introduced me to theatre in the hope that it&#8217;d grow my confidence with speaking. I was diagnosed with autism aged 9, and I found my voice through playing characters and acting raised my confidence little by little. It was a form of escapism and that&#8217;s still why I love it now.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obviously-we-can-t-not-talk-about-heartstopper-you-shot-a-lot-of-it-in-paris-what-was-the-most-memorable-moment">Obviously we can&#8217;t not talk about <em>Heartstopper</em>. You shot a lot of it in Paris, what was the most memorable moment?</h2>



<p>Paris was the first proper ice-breaker for the cast. We were working together all day every day and started going out together too, and I have very fond memories of that period of getting to know each other and slowly becoming friends. The most memorable moment, though, was definitely filming on the Eiffel Tower. You&#8217;re not actually allowed to book out the Eiffel Tower, no matter how much money you offer, so we went up at 4am before it opened. It was dark, cloudy, miserable, and the scene was meant to be in summer, but the editor just said, &#8216;Don&#8217;t worry, I&#8217;ve got this&#8217;. And it looks boiling when you watch it! There was only one trade lift though, and it was so busy when we&#8217;d finished that it took us four hours to come down.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-finally-what-do-you-have-lined-up-after-the-panto-run">And finally, what do you have lined up after the panto run?</h2>



<p>I&#8217;m off to New York in January to do a one-night musical at 54 Below in Time Square. As for the rest of 2025, there&#8217;s something fun in the pipelines but it&#8217;s not quite publication-ready &#8211; hopefully the next time we speak I&#8217;ll be able to say!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_79_br2_2793-1.jpg" alt="The Further Adventures of Peter Pan Bradley Riches as Peter Pan" class="wp-image-172951" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_79_br2_2793-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_79_br2_2793-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_79_br2_2793-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/10/Captain_Hook_Press_x2400_79_br2_2793-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><em>Bradley Riches is playing Peter Pan in &#8216;The Further Adventures of Peter Pan&#8217; at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, <strong>6 Dec 2024 &#8211; 5 Jan 2025</strong>. Grab your tickets for the panto <a href="https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-further-adventures-of-peter-pan-the-return-of-captain-hook/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></p>


Muddy meets: Peter Pan panto star Bradley Riches

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