How to be Father Christmas and capture all the magic...

“I was Father Christmas at Goodwood House where I came in in a horse-drawn carriage. This was for the staff children's party at the house itself and the children were coming in every 15 minutes. I greeted them and chatted to them and had photos taken, and I did it again last year at The Kennels.

“The essence of being Father Christmas is that it is one of the most joyous characters that you can ever play. You are bringing joy to the children and when you see the look on their faces at actually meeting Father Christmas, their eyes are wide open, just the fact that they can see him in person when perhaps they have only ever seen him before on television or on Christmas cards or on posters. And now they're meeting him there in the flesh. It is actually very humbling as an experience when you see the children so overwhelmed and so joyous. But it's also an incredible responsibility. You've got to make sure that you listen to the children and you've got to make sure that you notice things and you've got to just chat and respond.”

And that's the kind of experience John will be bringing to the role in Priory Park Panto Experience which will bring a cast of just four to the Guildhall in Priory Park from December 13-15, with tickets from The Novium.

The team are promising a fabulous, magical, immersive festive show lasting around three quarters of an hour with the chance to meet and greet the cast afterwards and to say hello to Santa – and perhaps even give him your list.

Fairy Sparkle dreams of being the fairy on the top of the tree. Santa and Mrs Santa are working their socks off to deliver Christmas on time. But Norman the naughty elf is plotting to ruin everything. It will be up to the audience to save the day.

“In this show Santa is a little bit annoyed with Norman (the naughty elf) who keeps being mischievous. He accuses Santa of being fat. He is not fat. He is just comfortably jolly!

“Santa is one of those people that doesn't like anything that is mischievous. He is very set in his ways and he knows that he's got a very important job to do which is to deliver the presents to the children. He doesn't want anybody messing about but he knows that Norman can be a little bit naughty and he knows that Norman will need to mend his ways.

“Santa is always open to suggestions that might be able to help him. He has been doing this for hundreds of years and he would like a bit more time to himself with Mrs Santa and to put his feet up by the fire. He also knows that he's got to keep reasonably fit to carry on doing what he's doing though obviously the mince pies and the sherry don't necessarily help.”

John has done a few pantos before: “But actually I've always played the dame in the six pantos I've done, bizarrely.”

Past roles include a Scottish Widow Twankey, one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella and Jack’s mother in Jack and the Beanstalk: “There is something very rewarding about playing women!”