May McFettridge: "After 32 years of panto, I still get that buzz'

Decades on and public devotion to our favourite harridan remains as ardent as ever.

May is, without doubt, a cultural icon - part of the Christmas furniture at the Grand Opera House, where she has given thousands of performances - and a regular on radio and TV, with her not-so-dulcet tones and comic put-downs.

And from now until January 15, children and adults alike can expect laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery and beautiful costumes as May stars as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella – clocking up a record-breaking 32 Grand Opera House pantomime seasons.

But, behind the racy innuendoes and the cutting remarks, the war paint and the flouncy frocks, who is May McFettridge?John Linehan, 71, is the person who knows her better than most and the story of how May became May is one of happenstance.

Eamonn Holmes, a relative, had asked Linehan to phone his then radio show, to liven the programme up.

Linehan pretended to be a Belfast housewife, and the banter between the two attracted an unprecedented number of positive phone calls to the radio studio, many asking for a return of the women as a regular on the show.

Linehan invented the name and the character by ad libbing — the first name being that of his mother-in-law and the surname being that of an Antrim hurler by the name of Olcan McFettridge, whose exploits in a National Hurling League game had made headlines in a local newspaper, which happened to be beside Linehan when put on the spot.

Since then John (and May) has appeared in every conceivable panto from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

He is currently performing in arguably the most iconic panto of all, Cinderella, in the Grand Opera House, performing in 75 shows until the middle of January.

"It’s two a day for six days a week for six and half weeks,” says the softly-spoken former car mechanic.

It sounds like a gruelling schedule, but John’s not complaining, despite having to deal with some serious health battles.

The North Belfast man had a mini-stroke (a TIA) a couple of years ago, but says he’s doing well.

"Everything is fine with that, I’m just taking medication and everything is great.”

He also has a debilitating illness called Syringomyelia, a rare condition that leaves the nerves raw at the top of the spine and causes muscle wastage down the left side of his body.He was diagnosed in his early twenties and takes regular pain medication.

"I got an injection in my back and it hasn’t worked, and with that my knees have swollen, so I don’t know what has happened.

"But they are very good to me (staff at the Opera House); they have a high stool at each side of the stage when I’m waiting to go on, so that helps to protect my back.

"It’s (Syringomyelia) a thing that either crawls or gallops and mine is crawling, thank God. “And it’s the top part of my body that it’s affecting on the left side area, so I have no muscle strength on my left side. If it was in the bottom half of the spine I’d probably be in a wheelchair.”

But John doesn’t tend to dwell on his health issues.

“You just get up and go to your work. I can’t remember the last time I said ‘Syringomyelia’. I think if you forget about it, it’s all in the mind – just tell the brain to get up the stairs and get down the stairs, get into bed and get out of bed, get on stage and get off it.”

May is joined on stage in Cinderella by Paddy Jenkins, who was last seen on the theatre’s stage in March in Give My Head Peace, as Baron Hardup.

Adam C Booth plays Buttons opposite Kia-Paris Walcott in the title role, Jo Donnelly and Jolene O’Hara are the vile Wicked Stepsisters, Lisburn’s Gyasi Sheppy plays Dandini, and Conor Headley takes on the role of Prince Charming.

May has been bringing the house down at the Grand Opera House for decades now, but John says he still gets a buzz from being on stage.

“You’re meeting a lot of new people every year and a lot of them stay in contact.

"They are just lovely to work with, especially this year, which has been more than good because the whole troupe, they are just unbelievably brilliant and technically the show’s great – especially when a coach and two horses go out over the audience."

He admits to nerves “for the first week or so”, but adds: ”I think if you’re not nervous maybe you don’t care and that’s not the way to be.”

So, as a massive superstar does May demand Champagne and caviar for her dressing room?

"I’ve got half a bottle of water, four apples and a couple of chocolate ginger biscuits.

"Every year two wee women, Renee and Betty, bake two cakes for me, and bring three or four packets of ginger nut biscuits.

"Renee and Betty are two big fans. They know what I love and they send it every year.

“The bags are set at the stage door and you know exactly what’s in it. I share them with the cast and the two cakes go within two days.”

Away from the stage, family is John’s number one priority. He has two daughters Donna and Kerry and three grandchildren, whom he adores and love going to see him in panto.

"Wee Eve, who is four says, ‘Granda, when I go to the ‘Hopera’ House’ I’ll sing for the audience – she thinks she’s going on stage to sing.”

Christmas Day is John’s only day off until Cinderalla ends its run and he knows exactly what he’ll be doing on the big day.

“I’ll go over to the Fortwilliam Golf Club for an hour, have a few beers and let Brenda (his wife) and the rest of them cook and get out of their way. Then I’ll come back and have a lovely Christmas dinner.

"Because I have two shows the previous night and two shows the next day, I’ll be in my bed by 7pm – that’s true.”

As for May, she and Big Patricia “will have a wee drink together”.

“I don’t know who is going to who’s house. But you can rest assured there’ll be a drink involved with the two of them.”

May is, of course, well-known for her signature look - bright blue eyeshadow and wonkily-applied red lipstick. John has the transformation down to a fine art, taking just 20 minutes to morph into May. Once, though, he only had six minutes.

"We were doing a live link to Canada and I was the first person on. They turned round to me and said I was on in six minutes, not 60, and I was standing in a three-piece suit and with 12 seconds to go I was stood in front of the camera as May saying ‘Hello Toronto, how are you...’ I remember feeling the sweat going down between my shoulder blades. I wouldn’t want to do that every time. Six minutes, make-up, everything done and dusted. Although, the make-up wasn’t put on with finesses. I’m not Christian Dior.’’

After his stint in Cinderalla, John and May will be back on stage at the Grand Opera House in April 2023 in a play called The Happy Medium.

"It’s a lovely play, and it’s very funny, where May is a psychic, but she doesn’t know she’s a psychic.”

So, much to the relief of fans everywhere, especially Renee and Betty, he and May have no plans to hang up the passion killers and cardigans any time soon.

“I thought maybe during the year when the back was really, really bad I couldn’t see myself doing 75 shows, but day by day it’s getting that wee bit better.”

*For the Grand Opera House pantomime performance schedule and tickets, visit: goh.co.uk