Linda Robson and Anton Stephans, stars of Dartford’s Orchard West panto Aladdin, tell us why this year’s show is a must-see

It’s almost panto season (oh yes, it is!) and theatres across the country will soon be digging out their Daisy the Cow costumes for another year of traditional family fun.

This year, Dartford’s Orchard West Theatre is gearing up for another magical Christmas with their production of Aladdin, starring Birds of a Feather actress and Loose Women panellist Linda Robson.

Linda, who will play Jasmine’s mother, has a long relationship with the world of panto and, during the Dartford launch, dressed to the nines in her glittering costume, she reminisces about her early days on the stage.

“The first panto I ever did was with my friend Pauline Quirk at the Hackney Empire,” she says. “At the time, I was supposed to play the young juvenile lead, but I was six months pregnant, so I ended up being Fairy Godmother and Pauline was King Rat.

“After that, Pauline said, ‘I’m never doing panto again, that’s the hardest work I’ve ever done!’”

For many people, pantomimes are an introduction to the theatre, with plenty of us holding onto childhood memories of family trips and larger-than-life characters.

Families coming to see Aladdin this year will experience just that, with a cast including Britain’s Got Talent finalist Mandy Muden, film actor Richard Foster, Olivier Award nominee Cleve September, TV entertainer Rikki Jay and X Factor finalist Anton Stephans all set to appear.

“Often this is the very first time a child will come to the theatre and we’ve got a responsibility to make it a brilliant experience for them,” says Anton. “It’s a family tradition, so we’re going to make it fantastic for people.”

Anton, who has hosted Dartford Pride for the past three years, is very familiar with the local crowd and reckons he knows how to put a smile on their face.

“They’re going to love the naughty jokes,” he laughs. “If there’s anything I know about Dartford, it’s that people like to have fun and enjoy themselves, and if they come to the panto, it’s going to be a riot.”

The performer, who has shared the stage with the likes of Tina Turner, George Michael and Elton John, rose to fame on The X Factor in 2015 and is keeping his fingers crossed for a few big numbers in the show – unlike his co-star, Linda.

“I have warned them that I am tone deaf, really,” says the sitcom actress. “Once I did a panto and had a Sondheim song called Giants in the Sky, and I murdered it. The audience started laughing!”

Linda admits she feels more at home with slapstick routines and is hoping her grandchildren will get a chance to see her flex her comedy muscles.

“My granddaughters haven't seen me in panto for quite a long time,” she smiles. “So they’re really excited.”

As the evenings draw in, theatres all over the country will be flogging tickets to the local panto and hoping the crowds show up to boo, hiss, cheer and clap along.

But what makes Dartford’s panto so special?

“Well, we’ve got Linda,” says Anton. “She is so nice and really hilarious.

“But you should come because it’s an institution. This is what we do. A lot of people have talked recently about ‘what is Britishness?’ Well, one of the most British things you can do is come to panto and have a giggle!”

Aladdin is at the Orchard West Theatre from Saturday, December 13 to Sunday, January 4. You can book tickets here.

On select performances, the theatre is offering super saver tickets from £15.