I hereby make a royal decree, so listen one and all, 
As I issue invitations to a very special ball.
It’s happening this Christmas at a marvellous location,
The Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar, right next to the station 

Yes, Cinderella is coming to Potters Bar (oh, yes it is), directed by West End veteran Samantha Hughes, who also takes on the role of Fairy Godmother.

As well as being the star of such stage hits as Blood Brothers, Run For Your Wife and Me and My Girl, Samantha has also appeared on TV in The Morecambe and Wise Show, Parkinson, Wogan, The Russ Abbott Show and Never The Twain. She is also a pantomime grande dame, as it were.

“This is my 32nd panto,” she laughs. “I did my first show when I was two years and ten months old and my first panto as a professional when I was only 12!

“I’ve played all the boys, all the girls, all the fairies and all the baddies. You can have a lot of fun with both baddies and goodies, it’s all down to the writing. Goodies will have a good sense of humour and a few quirks, and baddies are always a gift and a joy to play.”

Samatha has passion for panto, she adds: “It’s a craft and a genre all of its own. To do it well, you have to know how it works – the craft, the humour, the structure, the timing. It’s very fast, it takes a lot of work – two shows a day – it’s blimmin’ hard work. But it’s also extremely special and unique.

“A lot of TV actors think it’s a great thing to do because you learn a lot from it, as do actors who’ve been treading the boards for years. Years ago, I was principal boy with Norman Wisdom in Dick Whittington in 1988 at the Blackpool Grand Theatre. I learnt a lot about timing from him, and that’s the way you should do it in this industry – learning from people who know.”

Being one of those people herself, now, what does Samantha think is the secret of a good panto?

“It’s telling the story, it’s the magic of theatre for the first time for the kids – encouraging them away from their electronic entertainment into a fairytale in a live situation - and having enough for the audience to engage with as well.”

This production of Cinderella promises to have all of that and more. “It’s brilliantly written,” Samantha says, “and very well acted with a fantastic technical team. I play the Fairy Godmother with a difference. The only clue I can give you is that she’s come out of retirement – she had to retire because she kept messing spells up.”

  • Cinderella is at the Wyllyotts Theatre, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar from Saturday, December 15 to Sunday, January 6, 2013 at various times. Details: 01707 645005, www.wyllyottstheatre.co.uk