Cinderella’s Grissini tells all – an interview with Roger Lemke

Posted by Sian Ellett on 8 February 2012 | 2 Comments

Tags: Cinderella, Roger Lemke, interviews, costumes, artists, Victorian Opera

Roger Lemke talks to Victorian Opera about his role as ugly stepsister Grissini in Cinderella, wearing silks and hoop skirts and performing in a traditional pantomime for the first time.

At the age of 13, Roger Lemke watched his father sing in a pantomime of Sinbad the Sailor in Ballarat. His father played Ali Bad while his best mate was Ali Worse. It was this mischievous pair that immediately came to Roger’s mind when Richard Gill announced his intention to write a panto of Cinderella twelve months ago. Roger tapped Richard on the shoulder then to say he’d like to play an ugly stepsister. With the traditional role reversal of pantomime already long established, Lemke was perfectly cast.

Lemke tells us that he played Lady Grissini as straight up and down as possible to bring out the ridiculous humour of the character. The more serious she appeared, the sillier she seemed. When questioned about dancing in a dress he says, “It was just so hot!” With all the petticoats and pantaloons that went with the costume, Lemke was sweltering under the lights and describes the rather awkward, but very funny (for him and us) affair of capering across the stage wrapped in a frilly hoop skirt and silks.

When asked what he loved about Cinderella, Lemke immediately names the great deal of fun it was to work with the cast on such a hilarious show. He had not previously worked closely with Julian Wilson and describes the enjoyment of getting to know him over the course of the show and the great interaction they had playing the irrepressible Grissini and Griselda. He equally names Richard Gill’s involvement as a pleasure, “he did such a wonderful job writing the show.”

This is Lemke’s first children’s show and he expresses amazement at the incredible energy delivered by the children in the audience. Lemke’s nine year old daughter was one of the many children hooting and calling out over the course of the six performances. Lemke ends on a high note, “And adults enjoyed it too! Such good value.”