He’s vain, enthusiastic, dramatic, loyal and loveable – meet Prince Nathaniel of Neyland as he appears on the Torch Theatre stage this festive season in Rapunzel. Played by the charming Harry Lynn, audience members will be right behind the character as he attempts to help the girl with the golden locks at every opportunity.

Describing his character as “wonderfully silly, enthusiastic, a big-hearted comedic hero,” Harry believes that Prince Nathaniel of Neyland is “the epitome of royal bravery, striking his dramatic ‘Prince Pose’ at every opportunity.”

“But in reality he’s often nervous, dramatic, and hilariously out of his depth. He’s pampered, easily flustered, and very vain about his hair… to the point that a haircut at Belinda’s salon becomes a full-on event. But beneath all the bravado and humour, he’s loyal, caring, and absolutely determined to do the right thing, especially when Rapunzel needs him,” said Harry, who trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Audience members will fall in love with Prince Nathaniel of Neyland as he tries to save the day.

“He’s charming in that perfectly imperfect pantomime way: confident but clueless, brave but squeamish, and always trying his best. And when it really counts, he genuinely steps up. Whether he can fully save the day… well, this is a pantomime, so every hero needs a little help along the way. Let’s just say he plays an integral part in Rapunzel’s fairytale ending,” explained Harry.

Harry loves the pantomime season and has just finished performing in the Wizard of Oz as Hunk/Scarecrow at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

“Panto season is pure joy - loud audiences, lots of laughter, a healthy dose of improvisation, and that special festive atmosphere where anything can happen. It’s a theatre experience like no other, and the perfect way to celebrate Christmas.

“Characters like the Scarecrow - and now Prince Nathaniel - are loveable, funny, and full of heart. They give you licence to be outrageously playful, physical, and (of course) incredibly silly onstage, which usually creates a wonderfully warm and generous audience response.”

Prince Nathaniel of Neyland always gets caught in the middle of everything. He gets chased, sprayed, gunged, bashed in the face, electrocuted, caught in a complicated ladder sequence… he faints, falls, poses, panics, and hides behind Belinda whenever he’s scared.

“It’s a lot! The challenge is keeping the comedy big and bold while still maintaining his charm - it’s definitely a balancing act,” explained Harry who can’t wait to welcome you all to the Torch. “Having the Prince arrive in full regal mode, only to be sprayed in the face and gunged by Belinda, is peak panto chaos - it’s huge fun to perform and (hopefully) even more fun to watch,” said Harry.

Rapunzel, the hair-raising adventure can be seen on the Torch Theatre stage now until Sunday 28 December. Relaxed Environment Performance Saturday 13 December at 2pm and BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday 16 December at 6pm. Ticket price: £24.50 | £20.00 Cons | £78.00 Family. For further information visit the Torch Theatre website www.torchtheatre.co.uk/phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267 or click here.

Image: Chris Lloyd