When was the Warden's society formed?
The first pantomime they did was in 1983 and it was 'Jack and the Bean Stalk.' They've gone from strength to strength ever since. They have very high production values. They have the same sets, have the same costumes, the same wigs as a town the size of Aberystwyth couldn't sustain a professional theatre company. So, this local mix of professionals and amateurs really seems to work. We play to packed houses and it's all thanks to the Wardens.

How important is Aberystwyth pantomime?
I think it's really important for the local community because families have a night out, you get loads of groups from all over Wales and the English borders who come for a good fun night out. I think people have forgotten how to laugh in a way. Just to go and have a good night out in live theatre is really brilliant and I think the Wardens society is excellent at providing first class entertainment.

Do you like pantomime?
I love pantomime!!! Because it was my first introduction to theatre and so it got me hooked on family entertainment and kids and I had to make a very difficult choice when I was in my early twenties whether to go into theatre full time or education and I've dabbled in both and I loved it.

What past productions have you worked on?
Well I've just finished Beauty and the Beast (January, 2006), while next year (2007) I'm doing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Commercially, I've worked with a lot of stars in panto, which is always good. I've worked with Trevor Bannister, Barry Howard, Christian Schmidt from Neighbours, I've worked with Melvyn Hayes ('It Aint Half Hot Mum'), Jenny Powell ('Wheel of Fortune'), and Christopher Timothy ('James Herriot's Yorkshire'). So, lots of people really but I never got to work with Barbara Windsor who is brilliant at pantomime.

What pantomime are you doing in 2007?
We've started planning already for next year and we are doing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We are extending our run next year into three weeks, so, I've got to make sure I get it alright for everybody.

Have you ever done pantomime professionally then?
Yeah, up to about eight years ago I could play direct professional pantomime away from Aberystwyth, like in Dartford, Buxton, Swindon, Stevenage, and Eastbourne. I played dame so I had a great time with both careers, but work commitments have tighten up so I can't get away quite so often, so I do it here instead.

What has been your favourite pantomime?
I suppose Cinderella because the little girls love the idea of the romance and this rags to riches story. I'm not being sexist or typecasting, but little girls love seeing a Princess story. I also love Jack and the Beanstalk because I love playing Dame Trot. She is very hard-working and down to earth, but I prefer playing Dame's who are quite glamorous. Audiences want to see glamour, they don't won't an over-the-garden-wall dame.

Are you quite a big star in this town and area?
Yes, people go oh its Richard Cheshire and they all say I've got some very nice legs in fishnet tights!! The students in town find it quite strange because they see me as the director of teaching and learning in one way, and on the other hand, prancing about on stage doing slapstick scenes, but yeah I'm spotted all the time.

What do you enjoy most and least?
I love the response I get to the Dame when I'm being outrageous. I'm like me mum when she's had a few Gin and Tonics inside her. There's nothing I don't enjoy, I suppose when I look round at my fellow cast members, if they are not energised, if they are not really loving being out there, I get a bit cross because people deserve to be entertained. That's what we are here to do.

Any horror stories?
There was a bad experience that I had, I can't tell you in which venue though. We did a very complicated slosh scene. It was a wall paper scene. We had buckets of paste and on the 11 o'clock show on a Saturday morning and we were doing three shows a day. We went on stage and the paste had hardened and set so we couldn't do this 8 minute slosh scene at all. It was really embarrassing. We just had to walk off the stage and make some lines up about why we couldn't do it.

Pictures of past pantomines...