MISSION IMPUDSEYBLE
STARRING BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT WINNERS ASHLEIGH & PUDSEY
WITH CELEBRITY GUEST STEVI RITCHIE
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
4th and 5th June 2016
STARRING BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT WINNERS ASHLEIGH & PUDSEY
WITH CELEBRITY GUEST STEVI RITCHIE
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
4th and 5th June 2016
Arguably Britain's Got Talent's most famous winners, Ashleigh and Pudsey, are going on tour and will be rounding off the tour at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion on the 4th and 5th June.
The show, entitled Mission ImPUDSEYble, is a musical adventure that also features a full supporting cast of West End performers and acrobats.
Since winning UK’s biggest talent show in 2012 with their breathtaking dance numbers, there's been no stopping Ashleigh Butler and her super dog Pudsey. They've danced the conga with Kim Kardashian, flown in a private jet to Hollywood with Simon Cowell, released an autobi-dog-raphy, performed for the Queen twice, won numerous awards, released their own calendar, broken theatre ticket records, performed at award ceremonies, presented a TV series, graced dozens of magazine covers, rubbed shoulders with Leonardo Di Caprio & Nicole Kidman at the Cannes Film Festival and have even become global film stars!
Ashleigh is certainly one busy lady, to the point that when I ask her if she’s been to Southend before, she tells me that she may have, but she’s been to so many places now she can’t really remember. “I don’t even know where I’m going tomorrow!” she tells me. I catch up with the Britain’s Got Talent winner moments after she arrives at the theatre in which she’s performing with her famous pooch, Pudsey, that evening.
How’s the tour going?
Yeah, it’s going good. We’ve just got into Stockport and I’m actually standing on the stage right now.
Have you toured before with Pudsey.
Yeah, we did Wizard of Oz last year but that was just for 2 weeks.
So how does this tour compare to anything else you’ve done.
The most difficult part of this show is that people don’t know what it’s about. It’s almost like a panto but, like, out of season. There’s lots of audience participation, with them helping Pudsey and me save the world, basically. It’s very funny. We've got West End performers and we’ve got acrobatics - it’s a real variety show. There’s something for everyone.
So how much do you and Pudsey contribute to the show?
I’m in the majority of the show but with Pudsey I have to limit how much he is in it a little bit. Every time he comes on stage he is doing something, so whether it’s a routine or flying in a jet pack or driving a car, he is always doing something. People will realise, as well, that he is not on stage for the whole of the show because, at the end of the day, his welfare is my main priority.
Sorry, did you just say, “flying in a jet pack?”
He’s the first dog to ever fly in a jet pack!
Wow! You say that Pudsey’s welfare is your main priority though?
He is 10 years old now and he has a physiotherapist, he goes to hydro-therapy. His vet will tell you that he is one of the healthiest dogs around! I am aware of what he does, how much he does and the impact it has on him; and that’s why I limit how much he performs in the show and on stage and everything. So his welfare is definitely our main priority.
Is it important that Pudsey gets on well with the cast?
Well Pudsey keeps himself to himself really. He’s not really bothered about anyone else.
Is he a bit of a diva then?
Well I wouldn’t say diva but he just keeps himself to himself. He’s never really been a people dog. He’s very much a one person dog.
And that’s you?
Yes.
Has he ever got a bit too big for his boots and refused to do something you’ve asked him to do while you’ve been performing?
No. Sometimes he gets a little bit too excited and puts in extra bits to his routine but the majority of the time he’s good and he knows what his job is; but he loves what he does and he loves the audiences and everything like that.
The show, entitled Mission ImPUDSEYble, is a musical adventure that also features a full supporting cast of West End performers and acrobats.
Since winning UK’s biggest talent show in 2012 with their breathtaking dance numbers, there's been no stopping Ashleigh Butler and her super dog Pudsey. They've danced the conga with Kim Kardashian, flown in a private jet to Hollywood with Simon Cowell, released an autobi-dog-raphy, performed for the Queen twice, won numerous awards, released their own calendar, broken theatre ticket records, performed at award ceremonies, presented a TV series, graced dozens of magazine covers, rubbed shoulders with Leonardo Di Caprio & Nicole Kidman at the Cannes Film Festival and have even become global film stars!
Ashleigh is certainly one busy lady, to the point that when I ask her if she’s been to Southend before, she tells me that she may have, but she’s been to so many places now she can’t really remember. “I don’t even know where I’m going tomorrow!” she tells me. I catch up with the Britain’s Got Talent winner moments after she arrives at the theatre in which she’s performing with her famous pooch, Pudsey, that evening.
How’s the tour going?
Yeah, it’s going good. We’ve just got into Stockport and I’m actually standing on the stage right now.
Have you toured before with Pudsey.
Yeah, we did Wizard of Oz last year but that was just for 2 weeks.
So how does this tour compare to anything else you’ve done.
The most difficult part of this show is that people don’t know what it’s about. It’s almost like a panto but, like, out of season. There’s lots of audience participation, with them helping Pudsey and me save the world, basically. It’s very funny. We've got West End performers and we’ve got acrobatics - it’s a real variety show. There’s something for everyone.
So how much do you and Pudsey contribute to the show?
I’m in the majority of the show but with Pudsey I have to limit how much he is in it a little bit. Every time he comes on stage he is doing something, so whether it’s a routine or flying in a jet pack or driving a car, he is always doing something. People will realise, as well, that he is not on stage for the whole of the show because, at the end of the day, his welfare is my main priority.
Sorry, did you just say, “flying in a jet pack?”
He’s the first dog to ever fly in a jet pack!
Wow! You say that Pudsey’s welfare is your main priority though?
He is 10 years old now and he has a physiotherapist, he goes to hydro-therapy. His vet will tell you that he is one of the healthiest dogs around! I am aware of what he does, how much he does and the impact it has on him; and that’s why I limit how much he performs in the show and on stage and everything. So his welfare is definitely our main priority.
Is it important that Pudsey gets on well with the cast?
Well Pudsey keeps himself to himself really. He’s not really bothered about anyone else.
Is he a bit of a diva then?
Well I wouldn’t say diva but he just keeps himself to himself. He’s never really been a people dog. He’s very much a one person dog.
And that’s you?
Yes.
Has he ever got a bit too big for his boots and refused to do something you’ve asked him to do while you’ve been performing?
No. Sometimes he gets a little bit too excited and puts in extra bits to his routine but the majority of the time he’s good and he knows what his job is; but he loves what he does and he loves the audiences and everything like that.
As he’s 10 years old now, have you thought about retiring him?
Yeah, we’ve got this show and as long as he stays fit and healthy, he’s totally fine and he loves what he does. At the moment I’m not thinking about it. For me, personally, I’m trying to get into more presenting and that kind of thing.
I did wonder whether now you’ve had a taste for performing, if it was something you’d like to do on your own?
I love being on stage, I love presenting and I’m really lucky that over the last 4 years I’ve been able to try all kinds of jobs. I’m very lucky in the way that I get to try all different things and I love the fact that every job is totally different but I would like to do either more stage work or presenting.
Did you go to drama school?
Not really. I did dance and drama for GSCE and ‘A’ Level and then straight after ‘A’ Levels I won Britain’s Got Talent, so I haven’t really had any proper training or anything like that.
Before you did BGT, what did you think your career path was going to be?
I had no idea. It was a dream of mine to be on the stage and do this kind of thing but I never thought it would be possible - and now here I am touring with our own show - it’s pretty crazy!
What would you say has been your most memorable experience since winning BGT?
I have so many, like meeting the Queen, having the film (Pudsey the Dog: The Movie), going to America….. and now the stage show. I never thought after we won Britain’s Got Talent that 4 years later we’d still be here and touring with our own show; so we’re really grateful to everyone that’s supported us.
What’s Pudsey’s favourite treat?
He’s so food obsessed. He loves ham sandwiches, chicken, anything like that but for his main dinner he’s on a raw diet so that can be quite icky for me to have to deal with sometimes.
Is it true that you were you the highest paid performers in panto?
Yes, we were in 2012. That’s the year I definitely know about but I don’t know about any other years.
If your house was on fire what would you save first, aside from Pudsey of course?
Probably my other dog, Sullivan. Ooh I don’t know, that’s a really good question that I’ve never been asked before. Probably my dogs and obviously my family members after that.
Is Sullivan a dog that you are training as well?
Yes, he’s a lot younger (than Pudsey) and he’s so different to Pudsey. He’s so crazy but he’s good at his training and good at his tricks so we’ll have to wait and see. He was Pudsey’s understudy for panto and also for this show but he’s never had to go on yet.
So what would force Sullivan to go on then?
If Pudsey was ill or if he unfortunately broke something - but we don’t want to talk about that.
What does the future hold for you.
I’ve got a couple of things lined up but I can’t really say too much about them. I’m sorry, I can’t say but it’s a big project. It’s just for me and not Pudsey and I’m very much looking forward to that, so yeah, hopefully that will really take off and be good fun.
You can see Ashleigh and Pudsey in Mission ImPudseyble at the Cliffs Pavilion this coming June. For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 35113
Yeah, we’ve got this show and as long as he stays fit and healthy, he’s totally fine and he loves what he does. At the moment I’m not thinking about it. For me, personally, I’m trying to get into more presenting and that kind of thing.
I did wonder whether now you’ve had a taste for performing, if it was something you’d like to do on your own?
I love being on stage, I love presenting and I’m really lucky that over the last 4 years I’ve been able to try all kinds of jobs. I’m very lucky in the way that I get to try all different things and I love the fact that every job is totally different but I would like to do either more stage work or presenting.
Did you go to drama school?
Not really. I did dance and drama for GSCE and ‘A’ Level and then straight after ‘A’ Levels I won Britain’s Got Talent, so I haven’t really had any proper training or anything like that.
Before you did BGT, what did you think your career path was going to be?
I had no idea. It was a dream of mine to be on the stage and do this kind of thing but I never thought it would be possible - and now here I am touring with our own show - it’s pretty crazy!
What would you say has been your most memorable experience since winning BGT?
I have so many, like meeting the Queen, having the film (Pudsey the Dog: The Movie), going to America….. and now the stage show. I never thought after we won Britain’s Got Talent that 4 years later we’d still be here and touring with our own show; so we’re really grateful to everyone that’s supported us.
What’s Pudsey’s favourite treat?
He’s so food obsessed. He loves ham sandwiches, chicken, anything like that but for his main dinner he’s on a raw diet so that can be quite icky for me to have to deal with sometimes.
Is it true that you were you the highest paid performers in panto?
Yes, we were in 2012. That’s the year I definitely know about but I don’t know about any other years.
If your house was on fire what would you save first, aside from Pudsey of course?
Probably my other dog, Sullivan. Ooh I don’t know, that’s a really good question that I’ve never been asked before. Probably my dogs and obviously my family members after that.
Is Sullivan a dog that you are training as well?
Yes, he’s a lot younger (than Pudsey) and he’s so different to Pudsey. He’s so crazy but he’s good at his training and good at his tricks so we’ll have to wait and see. He was Pudsey’s understudy for panto and also for this show but he’s never had to go on yet.
So what would force Sullivan to go on then?
If Pudsey was ill or if he unfortunately broke something - but we don’t want to talk about that.
What does the future hold for you.
I’ve got a couple of things lined up but I can’t really say too much about them. I’m sorry, I can’t say but it’s a big project. It’s just for me and not Pudsey and I’m very much looking forward to that, so yeah, hopefully that will really take off and be good fun.
You can see Ashleigh and Pudsey in Mission ImPudseyble at the Cliffs Pavilion this coming June. For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 35113
Some pictures taken from the show courtesy of Mission Impudseyble Facebook page
