“I am so lucky to be regularly invited back to the Alexandra Theatre for panto and I absolutely love it,” says Vicky, who lives in Chichester. “Being able to do such a happy and family-focused show right on your doorstep is a real treat, especially as the Alexandra Theatre is such a warm and welcoming venue.” And this year Vicky is delighted to be playing a familiar character in Beauty and the Beast – but with a bit of a twist: “I will be playing Ingrid, Belle’s mum. Traditionally it is Belle’s dad who features in the story, but Bev Berridge at Spillers Pantomime has very kindly adapted the role for me. He has also thrown in the fact that Ingrid is an inventor, so there’s huge scope for fun and shenanigans! Who knows what inventions Ingrid has up her sleeve!” Vicky confesses she is still basking in delight at having been nominated for a prestigious Pantomime Award for her performance in last year’s Jack and the Beanstalk: “The Pantomime Awards are judged by industry professionals. A dedicated panel see pretty much every panto in the country between them, with a shortlist announced in the New Year. I had the thrill of being shortlisted and attending the swanky red carpet ceremony in London.” And this year Vicky thinks panto will be even more important: “With all the doom and gloom in the world I think the joyous escapism that panto offers is going to be much in demand. You get swept along on a colourful familiar tale, told in a modern way, with lashings of fun and plenty of silliness. Basically, panto is sunshine in show form. Even though times are hard, I think people will still want their annual dose of pantomime.” As for Beauty and the Beast, Vicky believes it is possibly the best panto story of all: “It has everything. Belle is a terrific role model (a young girl with a kind and bold heart who makes reading cool) and Bouffant Du Quiff, the baddie, gets his come-uppance. And in a world where image is still often valued more highly over character, the Beast is another great role model; he starts out as entitled and arrogant, but then he learns his lesson and we have redemption. The themes of loyalty and kindness are really loud and clear in this story – themes that really resonate at the moment – but there is also an abundance of sheer daftness and slapstick – all the panto magic and routines that audiences love.” Is it all a million miles away from Vicky’s other lines of work? “Actually, it’s not,” she insists. “These days I work mainly as a wedding & funeral celebrant, with a bit of freelance writing thrown in (Vicky has written the Observer’s Vicky Meets column for almost 18 years), but all of my work has storytelling in common. When I host a wedding or a funeral, the central point is either a love story or a life story. When I interview people it is always about telling their story. And of course panto is all about telling stories. What I would love is to host a ceremony on stage during the panto run! If there are any couples out there who would like to renew their vows or name their baby with Ingrid the Inventor as their officiant, give me a shout! You can find me at www.spotonceremonies.co.uk.”