Nottingham born Pantomime Dame received four yes votes from the judges at ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, in what must be one of the most joyful acts to grace the stage.
Marc Kelly, for the last ten years, transforms himself into Dame Dotty, performing at pantos in Grantham, Sutton, Barking and for the last eight years at the Radlett Centre.
During the pandemic, Marc reached out to other panto Dames to stay connected when theatres were closed. The result was the formation of Dame Nation, a dame super-group who recently appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and made it through the auditions with four yes votes.
Performing a mash up of It’s Raining Men and I Will Survive, Marc together with seven other Dames from across the UK, put their own unique twist on the music, changing the lyrics to reflect on their time on the hugely popular ITV talent show.
The four judges; Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams, loved the performance with Simon quipping: “Just like the Spice Girls but better singers.”
The auditions took place on the stage of the iconic London Palladium and what’s more British than a panto dame at the London Palladium, home of the pantomime?
Pantomime is a wonderful British tradition and according to Marc and the other dames in Dame Nation, it is still as popular as ever, especially since lockdown. “In many cases, pantomime is a family’s first experience of the theatre and it’s an opportunity for them to really immerse themselves in the story,” says Marc. “As a panto dame, I love watching the children getting so involved in the story and laughing and having fun. I also, love the cheeky jokes for the parents and finding a dad to pick on to be my husband for the show!”
Marc has had to keep his audition success under wraps but is delighted now he is able to reveal that he is a member of Dame Nation.
Marc was born in the Queens Medical Centre in the 80’s and although he is now London based he still has strong connections with Nottingham. All of his family live here and he loves nothing more than coming to visit. He supports his mum and dad at their local Bowls and golf clubs, as well as his auntie and uncle and their local amateur dramatic society. “Even though London is where I live, Nottingham will always be the place I call home. It’s wonderful to escape the capital and spend time with my family”
The next stage is waiting to find out if Dame Nation made it through to the live semi-finals, which are due to air the week commencing May 30th.
Find out more about Dame Nation and Dame Dotty on all social medias @DamenationBGT and @PantoDameDotty