Meet our Tinkerbell: Maddie Moate

Our 2022 pantomime is the magical All New Adventures of Peter Pan, co-produced with Evolution Productions. Our Press Officer, Steve Pratt caught up with Maddie Moate who is starring as Tinkerbell to find out a little bit more about her, flying onstage and what she is planning on getting up to during her time in York!

Maddie is a BAFTA award-winning television presenter of the BBC CBeebies series Do You Know? She has also starred in the CBeebies’ Proms Live at the Albert Hall, multiple CBeebies’ Christmas Shows and has presented the CBeebies’ Ballet. Beyond CBeebies, Maddie has also hosted CBBC’s Show Me Honey as well as BBC’s Spring Watch Wild Academy and CNBC’s The Cloud Challenge.

Describe your character in All New Adventures of Peter Pan… 

Tinkerbell is naughty, loyal, mischievous.

Did you know the Peter Pan story before being cast in the pantomime?

I’ve always loved the story and found the idea of Neverland really magical and enchanting. I like the idea of being able to play in this dreamlike world of fairy dust and pirates.

Had you read the book or seen the Disney film?

I’m very much a Disney girl who knew Peter Pan from the animated version.

Are you looking forward to flying on stage?

I’ve not done flying before but I get to fly in the first scene in this production. I’ve played a fairy before but didn’t get to fly. That was in my first pantomime appearance as Good Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. All New Adventures of Peter Pan is my second pantomime.

What’s the attraction of appearing in pantomime?

I love doing it because my background is I work in children’s television and usually talking about science and facts and figures and engineering. Panto is very different to that but being part of CBeebies Christmas shows gave me the confidence to give it a go and flex my theatre muscles a little bit. Eleven months of the year this – pantomime – is not my job at all. I don’t usually work with a live audience so being on stage is very different.

Have you studied acting?

I haven’t been to drama school but I did a theatre, film and television course at university, then decided I didn’t want to be an actor. I started making apps and working for the Natural History Museum. It was all about science.

Were you always interested in science?

Yes, from a very young age. I didn’t go down the science route at university because there were no female role models in science.

How did you get on CBeebies?

I was working on You Tube videos about technology and science when CBeebies saw me , called me up and said we are looking for someone in the real world who’s talking about science, breaking down information and educating people. That was me.

What’s your current TV project?

I’m presenting a show for America. I travel around the world meeting people and hearing how they built their homes. It’s a sort of engineering property show.

What’s next?

I need to start writing my next book imminently.

You’re new to York so how will you spend time when not on stage?

Learning about the science of York, going on a ghost tour, walking the walls.  I love the Shambles with its potion-making shop. I’ll try a bit of potion-making using Tinkerball’s magic wand.

Don’t miss All New Adventures of Peter Pan: York Theatre Royal, Dec 02 – Jan 02.

Box office 01904 623568 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk