Dick Whittington will be at Richmond Theatre from Saturday 9 December until Sunday 7 January.

The show stars writer, actor, comedian, radio and television presenter Paul Merton, comedian Suki Webster as Suki the Sweet Maker, musical theatre performer Wendy Mae Brown as Spirit of the Bells and West End star Vivien Parry as Queen Rat.

As the festive season approaches, Nub News sat down with Vivian Parry, Suki Webster and Wendy Mae Brown to talk about all things pantomime.

What are you all most excited about about the pantomime?:

Vivien: "Gosh, what am I most excited about?

"I just think having fun and being a little bit naughty over Christmas" 

Suki: "Well I've never done a pantomime before so I'm already like a kid at Christmas.

"I am so excited, I woke up this morning way too early, it's like I've eaten about 12 Kit Kats or something, I'm just super excited to try it all and try it all"

Wendy: "I think funnily enough being in Richmond.

"I liked the thought of coming here, especially around Christmas. I've done a few things at this theatre and just being in the thick of things and throwing myself in and seeing how far we can go."

Suki Webster and Paul Merton. (Photo Credit: Benjamin Mole).

Suki, it's your first pantomime - how is it different to things you've done before?:

Suki: "The backbone of my career has been comedy improvisation, so for one I'll have a script, although I will be able to play within the script .

"I used to audition for pantomimes all the time when I was younger and they'd always put me in for the Cinderella part and I'd always ask if they had a comedy part because I knew I'd nail the comedy part but there would always be a better singer than me coming up behind"

"So I auditioned for maybe five or six and never got them so I've finally got one with a brilliant comedy role.

"I've always wanted to do one and the fact that it's Christmas makes it even better."

What is your favourite aspect of your character?

Wendy: "She's a good fairy so she'll be the one on the side of the children, being kind to them, which is not what I usually play so I'm enjoying the fact I'm playing a different part than what I would normally play"

Suki: "I'll be a cheeky lassy which isn't a million miles away from me anyway!"

Vivianne: "I'm just looking forward to making children cry, if I can make a small child cry that's my job done."

Wendy Mae Brown and Vivien Parry. (Photo Credit: Benjamin Mole).

What are you most excited about when rehearsals begin?:

Vivien: "I think just playing.

"What I love about pantomime is you watch other people, its not really an ensemble piece everybody does their bit and then you form a company. I can't wait to see it, I don't know Suki's work and I don't know Wendy.

"I love watching how the whole thing gradually comes together."

"There's lots of set routines, like the ghost scene, and other pantomime tropes and I can't wait to see how that comes together."

Suki: "I'm just looking forward to learning and doing it."

Wendy: "Just the whole thing, just being there at Christmas and everybody throwing themselves at it."

The cast outside of the theatre. (Photo Credit: Benjamin Mole).

Why should people come to the pantomime what is special about it?:

Suki: "What I genuinely love about pantomimes is that it is lot's of kids first introduction to the theatre and I can remember as a kid going and it is so magical, so colurful, so exciting and fun and that fact that you've got the music the dancers the cast the colourful costumes.

"Its such a joyful spectacle Idon't know how anyone cannot love panto. I see at least one panto every year"

Vivien: "One of the things I absolutely adore is watching children being allowed to be naughty and misbehave and make a noise and not be told to shut up or sit down in there seat children are so structured and so frankly bullied and bossed so its so wonderful to watch young kids be allowed to clap and scream and boo and hiss and be and behave like a child and be like slightly anarchic.

"That's why panto is so great, there's a spirit of anarchy."

Wendy: "Its just so magical, you can throw yourself into a world that you don't think about for the rest of th year". 

"Its one of the few events where every generation goes together and its for family and for many its one of the few times people go to the theatre so its our duty to be on our a game."

Book your panto tickets here!