Making a scene: Panto chorus members describe their work

“It’s like a mountain,” she says. “You see the pretty bit at the top but the rough and gritty part underneath is like what goes on downstairs. We live in very different conditions to what the passengers experience and don’t have a lot of the benefits that they get. 

"For us, it feels like going to work in the theatre on board, and going to sleep and doing the same thing every day. 

"We had technical rehearsals in the morning and then we did two shows every evening."

Hilton, a professionally trained ballet dancer, has been on two lengthy cruises; in South East Asia and Northern Europe. 

“It’s like being on a constant conveyor belt that’s completely different to normal life. You don’t have your usual concept of time.” 

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But it’s not all hard work. There were crew parties facilitated by what Hilton describes as a very cheap bar. 

“It’s a fun life in many ways. You meet a lot of people from all over the world. It broadens your mind. I almost learned a second language, Italian. You learn from people around you. It’s very intense but it is something I’d recommend people to do if they’re performers.” 

Stopping off in ports and visiting cities for four or five hours are all part of the cruise experience. Singapore was Hilton’s favourite city. “It’s just amazing; so clean and everything so big and grand and well kept. Everyone is very respectful as well.” It’s just as well Hilton was relatively well paid on her cruise as she spent most of her money on designer clothes in Singapore.

She worked on cruises for four years but hasn’t been on one since the start of Covid. When she’s not working in pantomimes, Hilton is a freelance dance teacher around Cork.

Callum O’Brien from Norwich, who also works on cruises, is in Cork to dance in the same pantomime ensemble as Hilton. The 25-year-old trained dancer loves the energy of his art form and works out at the gym for at least 90 minutes every day. 

He has done two short cruises around Norway’s fjords and in the Caribbean. He enjoyed hiking in Norway during his free time on terra firma.

He says the Caribbean was “gorgeous".

But once, while in Guadalupe, he nearly missed getting back on his ship: “Three other dancers and myself decided to go to see a rainforest. We organised to be picked up later by a taxi to go back to the ship, but the taxi driver never showed up. We were lucky in that we met passengers from the ship. 

"They had a taxi and they took us back with them. As crew, you have to be back on board before the passengers. If you’re going to be in trouble for anything, being late for the ship is a big no-no.

"They will just go without you, leaving your passport at the dock and telling you that you need to make your way to the next port to get on the ship again. Ships get big fines if they’re late leaving. It’s a lot of money; hundreds of thousands.” 

O’Brien says that it wasn’t always 'party central' after working on the dance shows on the cruise. 

"You could have a drink but it was very strict. Regular alcohol testing was carried out. But you could celebrate because you normally knew when the tests were going to happen."

The reason for testing alcohol levels is that the dancers often have duties on board on top of performing: “We had to do embarkation duties when passengers came on board. We’d show them a video telling them what to do in an emergency. We couldn’t be intoxicated if an emergency happened.”

Dancers on cruises are a lower rank than officers or singers. “We were in bunk beds. Luckily, I was sharing a room with a British dancer I got on with and we’re still friends.” 

• Red Riding Hood is at the Everyman until January 25, 2025