Michael’s back for his tenth year in The Hawth panto

Sleeping Beauty is at the venue from Friday, December 8- Sunday, December 31 (tickets on hawth.co.uk or by calling The Hawth box office, 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday on 01293 553636).

“Ten years. Yes, I really have been here all that time and that's not a negative! It is definitely a good thing. It just really feels like family here. You get messages on social media and Instagram from people saying that they've seen the show and I even had one family saying that it really didn't feel like Christmas until they had seen me in the show on Christmas Eve. You walk on stage and you just feel that you are amongst friends, and that is so lovely.”

But at the same time that does bring pressure: “You are thinking ‘Am I as funny as last year? Is what I'm wearing better than last year?”

Working to an unknown audience and a known audience inevitably bring different challenges: “When it's a known audience you do feel that they are on your side but there is pressure because you are thinking about what you did the year before and you know that you are always wanting to take it one step further, certainly with the costumes. I always have a traditional hoop skirt with puff sleeves to start with but then after that I'm thinking about different shapes and different styles and also something that is suitable for the subject of the particular panto. I make my own costumes. And every year you are always trying to challenge yourself. Every year you want to do better than you did before and that means it's really something that you're thinking about all the year round, fitting in between other jobs and other performances. You're always thinking about the next year and I also make costumes for other dames as well so there's a huge amount of preparation that goes into it all.

“It's a lot of work and that's why I always think that you couldn't play dame if you didn't absolutely love it. You're having to change 11 or 12 times three times a day six or seven days a week. You're always the first one in the theatre because of all the time it takes get ready and you are always the last one out at the end of the day. That's why I think you've really, really got to love it.

“And I love it so much because I always think that other people's laughter is like a drug to me. It's the only child syndrome. It's all about ‘Give me attention!’ You go on and if you get a laugh or if you sense that people love your costumes, then that's a fantastic feeling.”

And yes, Michael is indeed an only child: “So there are definitely elements of ‘Look at me, mummy! I'm doing this!’”

In fact, mummy will indeed be looking at him: “My mum (Gail) is a huge help. She comes into the workshop and helps me with the wigs. She trained me as a hairdresser as well, and over the last ten to 15 years or whatever we've done such a lot together. It's a great bond. We're practically the same person. And back in the day my dad always used to help as well, hiring a van for all the costumes.”