Comedian Phil Walker is back in Blackburn, which can mean only one thing - it's panto time. We spoke to the man who has put the sparkle into King George's Hall's Christmas panto for six years running.

"I GOT my script through the post the other day. I'm playing a character called Ben.

" Funnily enough, I don't remember there being a Ben in Snow White," said Phil Walker with a laugh.

For 49 weeks a year Phil, son of Catchphrase host Roy Walker, travels up and down the country and overseas entertaining crowds with his stand-up comedy.

But his guilty pleasure is the three weeks where he gets to wear garish clothes, stage make-up and go back to being a child when he performs in Blackburn's annual panto.

Every year his role is pretty much the same village idiot-style character, even if the name changes.

The character is not always integral to the story, but is there to perform the important role of whipping the crowd up into a frenzy and provide someone to yell "He's behind you!" at.

"I think they sort of invent a character for me every year," admitted Phil.

"It's nothing new - after all, there never was a character of Buttons in the original version of Cinderella.

"These characters are used as a go-between from the audience to the actors.

"I get to interact with the kids and help create atmosphere in the crowd. Of course, we need a baddie to boo at as well - that's another important element."

So what keeps Phil coming back to Blackburn year after year.

"I love it at Blackburn," he said.

"This will by my sixth year here. I did my first ever panto in Rhyl but that was before my daughter Verity was born.

"I don't think it'd be fair to her now to spend Christmas away from home and because I live so close (in Lytham St Annes) I can go home to my own bed every night.

"King George's Hall is a wonderful theatre and the staff are lovely, the audiences are great and I get treated very well.

"I'm offered pantos down south every year but it's a bit too far.

"King George's seem to ring me up every January or February and say 'Are you interested in doing it next year' and I've gone Yeah, all right'."

Phil has already been getting in some practice and has been reading the story book of Snow White to four-year-old Verity every night before she goes to sleep.

"I'd better start adding this Ben character to the story soon," he said.

Phil will be bearing the brunt of the responsibility for getting bums on seats for this year's production after show bosses decided against getting a big name in the show.

Last year former Big Brother contestant Spencer Smith was brought in to play Jack in Jack in the Beanstalk but his performance was criticised by some as being wooden.

Phil doesn't seem overly concerned that the show is now riding on his name.

"This year there's not a 'big name', if you will, but in Blackburn I think the panto has quite a good following anyway and the little kids don't go for the stars.

I think last year was an experiment to see if we could create more interest by having a celebrity, but I think in Blackburn lots of the kids come for the experience and the story anyway."

Phil says his favourite shows are the ones where the kids really let rip and have a ball.

"I love the school shows - we do one at 10am and one at 1pm.

"You get a house full of kids and teachers and they go absolutely beserk - it's great. They really get into it.

"Sometimes in the evening shows there are adults who are there when they don't really want to be and they won't join in with the interaction so you have to work a bit harder to get the atmosphere up."

As you'd expect, Phil is a big fan of Christmas, especially now his daughter Verity is of an age where she can understand what's going on.

"This year we're having a traditional Christmas at home," he said.

"We let Verity open her presents from Father Christmas as soon as she gets up, then we all open some from family after dinner.

"My family are all coming to us this year and some of Janet's (Phil's wife) family are coming round too, so it should be a good year."

And, as if sensing that she's being talked about, Verity pops up shouting "Daddy?".

"Oops, Scooby Doo must have finished, I'd better go," said Phil.

Just before he leaves, what's his favourite Christmas joke?

"I've always liked: How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza? Deep pan, crisp and even. It's a good one that isn't it? Ha ha."

  • See Phil Walker in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at King George's Hall, Blackburn, from Thursday, December 13, to Monday, December 31. For tickets call 01254 582582 or visit the website below.