Preview: Mother Goose, Harrogate Theatre, until January 8

Adam Stafford began acting at the age of six, managing to almost completely avoid school by doing television, film and theatre roles. He now acts, directs and produces, and this year he has appeared in BBC1's The Basil Brush Show, played Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Derby Playhouse, co-presented The History Of Electricity with Johnny Ball, and produced One Night In Vegas, an Elvis Presley tribute show starring Suspiciously Elvis. From tonight he plays the dame in the Harrogate Theatre pantomime, Mother Goose. Charles Hutchinson meets the Goose in the news.

Welcome to Harrogate, Adam. You have a hard act to follow in Scotsman Alan McMahon, Harrogate Theatre's gangly, bossy-boots, stick-insect dame for six years.

"I've never seen Alan's dame. Tall and skinny, you say? I'm not! I'm neither tall nor skinny. The camera was laid on the floor when my picture was taken.

"Taking over from Alan, I feel a responsibility and am slightly nervous because I am aware that people loved Alan, but I'm also aware that I'm being guided by Lennox Greaves the pantomime director to steer it along the lines of how a Harrogate panto should be. The production values here are very good."

You have played Widow Twankey in Aladdin in Boston, Sarah The Cook in Dick Whittington in Derby and an Ugly Sister in Cinderella in Ascot. How do you go about playing these cross-dressing roles?

"Let me just say I'm going to be my own woman in Mother Goose. If you're doing Ugly Sister, they're the baddies so you send those characters up. My dame is a very real mum, mumsy, but she does have a woman's needs.

"I've come to play it that way gradually, doing different things in different shows. Derby Playhouse director Mark Clement settled it for me when he said 'You can put on the face and the make-up but keep it friendly, make it mumsy'. That gives a warm, rounded character to the dame."

How should the dame not be played?

"I don't think the dame should be a grotesque; that should be left to the Ugly Sisters. What I'm also not is 'blokey' with a masculine voice. That's not me. It doesn't appeal.

"I have this friend, Eric Potts, who does the Oldham Coliseum panto. He writes it and stars as the dame each year; he's a very large man and a wonderful singer and dancer and he has that mumsy quality, that very warm quality across the board."

What are your first impressions of the Harrogate Theatre stage?

"I've never worked here though I have been here before and I know it's a beautiful place. I love old theatres - they just have a feeling about them - and I'm looking forward to the first night as the theatre is a lovely size, around the 500-seat mark. I've never done a show that doesn't work in a theatre this size. When it's full, it feels like a big crowd and yet you feel you can connect with everyone there."

Adam, you're a southerner but will you stick with that accent or move it up the M1?

"I must admit I've been using a northern accent in rehearsals and Lennox hasn't stopped me. It just makes me feel more mumsy, and I think there's something about the northern voice that makes it much more lyrical, much more rhythmical.

"I find that when you're doing gags and it's quick-fire patter, the Yorkshire accent makes it funnier, and it's nice to do the local accent.

"Also, for me, if you create a voice, it's all part of creating a character and role. I tried out a Welsh accent for Widow Twankey but it just didn't sound right, but this summer I did Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream with a Welsh accent and that had a really lyrical feel to it."

Mother Goose, Harrogate Theatre, until January 8. Tickets: £8.25 to £16 on 01423 502116.

Updated: 16:10 Thursday, November 25, 2004