Designer Honoured For 10 Years Of Weaving Panto Magic At The Customs House

Designer Honoured For 10 Years Of Weaving Panto Magic At The Customs House

An award-winning designer has been honoured by The Customs House in recognition of a seamless panto partnership spanning the last decade.

Paul Shriek, of Newcastle-based Fox and Shriek, has worked with The Customs House on its annual pantomime production since 2010. He received a Great British Pantomime Award for Best Costume Design in 2018 for his work on The Lambton Worm and was nominated alongside creative partner Matt Fox for Best Staging and Set last year for Beauty and the Beast.

The duo once again weaved their magic on Snow White, which marked the tenth anniversary of Paul’s association with The Customs House.

Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House,
as Dame Bella, with Paul Shriek and John Hays.  

He has now been inducted as an Honorary Fellow of The Customs House Academy, receiving his award on the closing night of this year’s panto, taking to the stage amid applause from the sold-out auditorium. He was introduced by Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House, who writes, directs and stars in the annual panto, and presented with the award by John Hays, managing director of main panto sponsor Hays Travel and an honorary fellow himself.

Paul said: “It is a huge privilege to have been awarded this Honorary Fellowship. As an Ashington lad turned 'frock maker' I have been adopted into the community of South Shields and South Tyneside and hope that my involvement with the 'Little Panto with the Big Heart' has helped 10 years of audiences to enjoy a magical journey into pantomime that has created lasting family memories. I would like to thank Ray and The Customs House team for giving me the opportunity to create a visual spectacle through both set and costumes that has become integrated into the production of the award-winning Christmas pantomime.”

The Customs House Academy was established to recognise and honour the achievements of exceptional individuals, with a significant connection to South Tyneside, who have made a major contribution to the world of arts and entertainment.

Other Honorary fellows include singers Anne Marie-Owens, John Miles, Joe McElderry, Jade Thirlwall and Jamie Lambert, comedians Sarah Millican, Jason Cook and Chris Ramsey, dancer and choreographer, the late Lindsay Kemp, poet and playwright Tom Kelly, artist Bob Olley, writer Alex Ferguson, animator and illustrator Sheila Graber, actors George Irving and John Woodvine, Sandford Goudie, Richard Ord and Andy Bogle.

Ray said: “It was right that The Customs House recognised a decade of Paul’s inventiveness and creativity, which always manages to surprise, challenge and delight our audiences.”