Derbyshire's panto dame tells why false eyelashes are a vital part of his make-up regime

Best known as the restaurant owner Clive in the telly sitcom Miranda, James was new to panto when he trod the boards in Buxton in 2014 but now he's as much a tradition in town as the festive show.

He is back at the Opera House for his sixth stint as the Dame and reprising the role of Widow Twankey in Aladdin, which was the first part he played there.

James, 56, said: “Because I can't sing or dance I'd never considered doing panto before. I remember how inexperienced I was, it was learning on the job and it was really fun.

"The Dame's job is to call out the elephant in the room. You're in the play but you're also commentating on it. You do your bit with the audience but you don't know what response you're going to get back.”

When it's suggested that going off script is part and parcel of the Dame’s role, James countered: "Or your ad-libs are very well rehearsed so it appears that that is what you're doing. You find spaces where you've got a little bit of wiggle room. Some people are more comfortable with that than others so you experiment in rehearsal - you don't want to throw anyone under the bus."

Team work makes the dream work and no more so than in panto where James relies on a dresser to help him into his 11 costumes and do his make-up.

He said: "I can't do make-up. I tried once, watching a YouTube tutorial, and I looked like I'd been in a car crash. I'm not the most contoured looking or glamorous Dame, it's more like I've just headbutted the make-up box.”

James discovered the benefit of wearing false eyelashes when he was an Ugly Sister in Cinderella two years ago. He said: "I had to wear them to look a bit more glamorous and wasn't looking forward to it but they were great because they kept the make-up powder out of my contact lenses. I'm going to insist on them this year, otherwise I'll be blind by the end of the show."

He loves spending the festive season in Buxton, where he switched the Christmas lights on. “Buxton is so pretty – when it snows, it’s like something out of a film,” said James.

While the cast get Christmas Day off to spend at home, James opts to stay in Buxton for the day rather than return to Brixton. He said: "The first year I found a flat more or less opposite the theatre so I nabbed that and I get that every year. It's much nicer than where I normally live.

"Buxton is really great for food - there's a good Indian around the corner and a couple of nice restaurants in the town centre.

“My favourite place is the biker friendly launderette-cafe Fiveways. Dropping your service wash and having a cooked breakfast at the same time has become an absolute ritual!"

Aladdin runs from December 11 to January 1. For tickets, go to www.buxtonoperahouse.co.uk