Paul Merton is starring as Sarah the Cook in this years pantomime at Richmond Theatre.

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 Paul to ask him about the role of Sarah the Cook and to talk about all things pantomime.

The cast of Dick Whittington. (Photo Credit: Benjamin Mole).

Tell me about your character?:

"I'm Sarah the Cook and I'm in drag as the pantomime dame as they call it. I've done it once before at Wimbledon Theatre. We did the press pictures this morning and I got to try on all of the costumes."

What are you most excited for about the panto?

"I'm just excited for the interaction with the audience really, particularly young kids who scream and shout at the villains and cheer at the heroes.

"If you were doing a straight drama you don't really know how well it's going until the end but you know how the audience is receiving a panto right from the beginning."

What do you think your favourite aspect of your character is going to be?

"Myself and Suki, who is playing Suki the sweet fairy who is the main other character I'm interacting with are doing most of the comedy in the show so I think its just sort of having fun with the various parts we're involved with.

"I hope we do some physical comedy and I'm excited for just the discipline of playing the same part over a number of weeks and making sure you get those jokes, get the impact and the response from the audience you want.

"I'm looking forward to the joy of appearing in front of a large audience."

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

How do you think your previous experiences will help you in this role:

"I probably won't be as nervous as I was on the press night of the Wimbledon show because I had no idea if I could pull it off or not

"Maybe some of the routines we do will be similar. The opening night will be nerve-wracking but not quite as nerve-wracking as Wimbledon."

Why do you think people should come and watch?

"Pantomime is traditionally a Christmas treat for people and you get all sorts of ages from four-year-olds up to 90-year-olds its one of those rare live experiences where there really is something for everybody"

"Pantomime is a long-standing tradition in this country and it has been going for a long long time so come along and have fun!"

The cast with Richmond Mayor. (Photo Credit: Benjamin Mole).

Book your panto tickets here!