That's me on the right. 'Oh no it isn't!'... 'Oh yes it is!'...

The panto Cinderella - Lost in Space was on stage in Switzerland, with 10 performances in the first half of December. I played one of the Ugly Sisters. In panto, one of the roles... known as the dame... is a female character played by a man. Cinderella is one of the most popular stories for panto. There are 2 dames... the 2 Ugly Sisters.

I've been involved in amateur theatre since I was a boy. I've played in many pantos, and even directed a couple. I've played most of the male roles in panto but I've never been the dame before. I was a bit unsure about it at first, since my own personality is rather different from the boisterous extrovert character of a dame. But I did well and thoroughly enjoyed it.

During the interval break of one performance, I was talking to the pianist, a talented musician who stepped in at the last moment when the original pianist was indisposed. She said to me, 'You're brilliant! I could never do anything like that.' I pointed out that we were both part of a team, each doing what we were good at. People often say that they could never perform on stage. But it's a thrill that I enjoy. Other people leap out of a light aircraft for fun, or throw themselves off a bridge at the end of an elastic rope. I could never do anything like that!