 By Chris High
Steven Pinder, best known for playing Max Farnham in the Channel 4 soap, Brookeside, is also an accomplished stage actor and is really looking forward to appearing in Cinderella at The Liverpool Royal Court alongside Pete Price and Eithne Browne. ‘Cinderella is a proper pantomime because it’s from a fairy tale. The ugly sisters are Eithne and Chrissy Rock, I’m Prince Charming and Pete Price is Buttons, so it’s going to be a good, fun show and Merseyside people always really get into it anyway. Everything gets thrown out of the window with Pantomime. It’s the people’s theatre and it’s the one place where you can take your children and tell them to make as much noise as they like. It’s a total tradition,’ Steven said.
Steven also recalled his first tastes of pantomime. ‘I remember more who was in them rather than what the actual shows were but I have vivid memories of seeing Jimmy Tarbuck, Jack Douglas and Des O’Connor in Manchester. I remember vividly the excitement of the whole night, though the real reason I got into acting was when I discovered there were some really good looking girls going to the local arts and drama classes in Blackburn. Then it was it was seeing Donald Sinden in King Lear with the RSC when I was fourteen that blew me away.’
Steven isn’t the only member of the family in the business. His partner is actress Stephanie Chambers and Steven also believes another Pinder might soon be treading the boards. ‘My son is thirteen and wants to be a dancer. I bought him a pair of football boots once and he went into the kitchen and began a tap routine in them. He went to see Riverdance when he was three and tap is the discipline he enjoys most but I can tell you this, he didn’t get the ability from me as I have designer feet … both of them are left.’
Chris High
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