Seasoned pro Ian started his panto career starring alongside the late Jack Wild as an Ugly Sister. He then branched out on his own as Dame Trot in Jack & The Beanstalk, a role to which he’s returning this very festive season. Despite his panto CV also including appearances as Captain Hook and the Mad Hatter, there ain’t nothing like a Dame as far as Ian’s concerned.

What makes Christmas magical for you?

I love the buzz in the theatre. For a lot of children it’s their first panto, and it’s so important that we make their Christmas magical. I’m a great believer in the importance of the story. All the other elements - song, dance, comedy etc - all have their part to play, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the story. The children have to believe it’s real.

If you weren’t a Dame, what other panto character would you like to play?

The villain. I don’t care which one. After the Dame, I think it’s the best part - but as long as I can still tap in the heels, I’ll stick with Dame. I suppose the best of both worlds would be Mother Goose, as she gets to be mumsy and good, then greedy and bad, and then sees the error of her ways in time for a happy ending. Great part.

Have you ever had any costume malfunctions?

I’ve been really lucky to have terrific dressers with me each year. If the zip goes, they’re ready with the pins, and they have a great ability not to panic. My biggest fear is losing the wig, which comes back to my thing about making the story real. I mean, everyone knows I’m a bloke in a frock, but you still have to be a believable mum or whatever. Fortunately it only happened once, and thankfully I came up with a decent adlib!

What’s your all-time favourite panto?

I love them all. Cinderella is the big one, I suppose, but I didn’t want to do Sister again the last time I did it, so I played Fairy Godmother instead, which I really enjoyed. A couple of years ago, I did Snow White, which was set in the Transylvanian mountains. I think that’s possibly my favourite of all the pantos I’ve done.

Who’s your scariest villain?

He wasn’t necessarily the scariest villain, but one of the best villains I’ve ever seen was Roger Allam as Abanazar at the Old Vic - I thought he played it to perfection. This year will be my second ‘Jack’ with Graham Cole, now he can handle his boos !

Never work with children or animals. Comment...

I love working with children, and you can usually spot the babes at any early age who’re going to go into the business. I’ve been very lucky to see quite a few girls and boys go on to drama or dance colleges and do very well over the years - although it can be a bit of a shock sometimes when they turn up to auditions and remind you how young they were when they did panto with you. I’ve stopped doing the maths now !

Do you have a routine to ensure you’re ‘panto ready’?

Not really. I always think of my Dame as a lady in hibernation - and when the clocks go back, it’s time to wake her up and get the heels on !

Where will you be spending Christmas Day?

With family and good friends, as always.

What’s top of your Christmas list?

I’m in the process of buying a little bungalow on the south coast. It’s taking rather a long time to come to fruition, so I’m hoping that that’s Santa’s present for me this year.

What’s the worst gift anyone could ever give you?

Meringue!

Sprouts - yes or no?

Until recently no, but I seem to have made my peace with them. It depends how they’re cooked, of course...

Favourite festive tipple?

I love a really good port with cheese after Christmas lunch.

New Year resolution?

Never look back.

Do you ever get post-panto blues?

Not really, because you’re usually planning the next one; although if I’ve been with a great cast - and I’ve been lucky to have had many - I do miss the camaraderie, but there’s always the next one!

Ian plays Dame Trot in Jack And The Beanstalk at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Sat 9 December to Sun 14 January