With four pantomimes already under his belt and the fifth, Aladdin, opening on Saturday, Hayes’ favourite funnyman Mark Jones is an old hand when it comes to Christmas at The Beck.

“I love working here, it’s my home. I know the staff and the audience – that’s very important in panto. The audience are part of the cast for the night. I know what makes the Beck audience laugh.”

Having appeared in panto all over the country for the past 18 years, Mark knows them all, but Aladdin stands out.

“It’s slightly different to the rest – the others are set in a fairytale land whereas Aladdin is set in Peking, so it’s nice to have different costumes for a change.”

It also has a personal significance: it’s what he was performing in when, in High Wycombe, in 2004, he met his wife.

Mark is playing the part of Wishee Washee, Aladdin’s brother. Mark says: “Aladdin is obviously the heroic one, the good boy, but Wishee Washee is the butt of all the jokes and the instigator of a lot of them. I’ve always enjoyed the comedy side of it, and since eight years ago, I’ve always played the comedy roles.”

Mark sees Wishee Washee as a cheeky schoolboy – doing the naughty, mischievous things that all children would love to do. But beyond that, he says, you can’t prepare too much.

“A lot of the time it depends on the audience on the night. They’re well rehearsed in panto convention, but you can’t rehearse what children are going to shout out. That keeps it fresh.”

Unsurprisingly, Mark loved panto when he was a child, and was taken every year by his uncle.

“The first time I got into panto, I couldn’t believe I was actually doing something that as a child I’d loved.”

What does he think is panto’s enduring appeal?

“There’s very little today that families with children can get together and go along to. And it’s safe, you know what you’re going to get but it’s always fresh. People become very loyal to local theatre, it’s one of the few places where community spirit still exists.”

His own children will be in the audience this year. His one-year-old might not appreciate it, but three-year-old Poppy loves it.

“She gets what I do now,” Mark says. “She knows that daddy ‘does shows’. To now have my own daughter in the audience, after entertaining kids for so many years, is just the most magical feeling in the world.”

While Mark still loves the thrill of performing, this may be the last time we see Mark in panto for quite some time.

In January 2011 he began a move away from performance and into production, taking on the role of creative learning manager at The Beck’s sister theatre, Wycombe Swan. He’s responsible for the Swan’s youth theatre, classes and community activities.

What prompted the move out of performing?

“A few years ago I started to think I wanted a bit more longevity. I’ve always liked challenges, new things. I think I’ll end up as a producer of shows.”

As well as being a manager, Mark will be writing children’s shows for Alton Towers and various other holiday companies. Over the past three years, he’s done more than 250 children’s shows for some of the industry’s largest holiday companies and theme parks.

But what he’s most looking forward to in 2012 is his children’s stand-up comedy show.

“I think children are a lot more savvy these days, so I wanted to challenge myself, see if I could strip it down and just have me with a microphone – without costumes, makeup and dancing.”

How do the kids respond to it?

“They love it. It’s a bit weird, it takes a while for them to realise I’m not going to be juggling or spinning plates, but once they get it they really get into it. It’s quite a hard thing to do, that’s why there are so few of us, entertainers need the props. But I think it’ll grow. It’ll take time but it’s so raw, so natural.”

Aladdin is at the Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex, from December 17-January 8. Details: 020 8561 8371, www.becktheatre.org.uk