Pantomime - it's just such a laugh, says Liza Goddard - but it doesn't stop her from taking the genre extremely seriously. "It's such good fun," she says warming to her theme. "You just laugh all the time.

"I know it sounds hard, two shows a day but usually the people in panto are lovely and you just laugh all the time - and with the festive atmosphere it's fabulous."

The actress will be helping to spread a little Christmas magic of her own when she stars as the Fairy Godmother alongside children's entertainer Dave Benson Phillips, in the Malvern Theatres' production of Cinderella.

However, despite all the merriment, she takes the job she's doing very seriously.

"I believe that pantomime is very important because it's usually the first time people come to the theatre and, sometimes, it's the only time people come to the theatre," she explains.

"You have to be very careful to do the story properly. I don't like pantomime where they mess about and I don't like pantomime where it's for the adults.

"It's primarily for the children and I think that's terribly important. You have to keep the story magical and believable.

"The Fairy Godmother tends to tell the story and it's very very important that you keep the story real and alive and magical."

The only person that comes out of the story to be themselves, she says, is Buttons, before pointing out that she's heard Dave Benson Phillips is one of the best Buttons there is.

That's probably just as well when much of the audience will be made up of theatre's toughest, yet most honest, critics - children.

Liza will certainly be on her toes. "You have to be super-good for children because they see right through things," she says.

"They know if you're not doing a good job. They don't hold back. "You have to be on tip-top form when working in front of children."

But what's bound to help is working in familiar surroundings and Lisa is no stranger to Malvern, having played many times at the venue.

You could say she's an honorary local. "I love Malvern!" she exclaims, recalling with relish how she goes "up that hill every morning. I know lots of people in the town now and walking around takes me for ever as I stop to chat to people," she adds. "It's wonderful."

Playing at Malvern also has a special benefit - Liza's sister lives in Hereford.

"So I know the city pretty well," she adds. "When I'm playing in Malvern, about two or three times a year, I get to go and see her and her family."

With Christmas traditionally a family time, those extra family links in this part of the world must have special resonance when it comes to working over the festive period.

Liza looks at it this way. "You only have one day off, which is Christmas Day, so it becomes very focused and very special," she offers. "You don't have that longeur which people suffer from at Christmas - what are we going to do now - when we're in the theatre my family will come down and I'll see my sister so we'll still manage to keep it very family-orientated."

As one would expect with an actor with such a long and illustrious CV, Lisa is no stranger to pantomime and the demands of working over Christmas.

Last year found her in panto at Guilford. "Then they asked me to at Malvern almost straight afterwards," she adds. "At least it's a guaranteed job - it starts the year off well and it's also great fun!"

Malvern Theatres

01684 892277 www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

Cinderella, the best-loved pantomime of all, comes to Malvern Theatres, brought to life by a star-studded cast.

Liza Goddard, as the Fairy Godmother, is best known for her TV roles in Take Three Girls, Bergerac and Woof as well as being one of the nation's most cherished stage actors, with many appearances in Malvern before. She is joined by Tony Scannell as Baron Hardup. Tony is well-known as Ted Roach to viewers of ITV's The Bill, while youngsters will love to see Dave Benson Phillips, from children's programme Get Your Own Back, who stars as Buttons. Bobbie Kent and Marcus Denville are to play the Ugly Sisters while Laura Clements will take the title role.

Come along and boo those evil ugly sisters, gasp as Cinderella sets off for the ball and leave the theatre in a glow of pleasure as everything ends happily.

The show runs from December 15 to January 7and ticket prices start from just £8.75.

Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Hippodrome

The Nutcracker

www.brb.co.uk 0870 730 1234

It's Christmas Eve, and young Clara receives a beautiful wooden nutcracker doll from the eccentric magician Drosselmeyer and is instantly enchanted.

That night, unable to sleep, Clara creeps downstairs but on the stroke of midnight the Christmas tree is growing, she is shrinking, and, before you can say fantastic festive fairytale, Clara is battling an army of rats.

When Clara's kiss turns the nutcracker into a handsome prince, she is truly swept off her feet. From the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets, from Chinese Dancers to the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara is spirited away on a trip of a lifetime.

November 24 - December 13.

Hereford Courtyard

Dick Whittington www.courtyard.org.uk

0870 1122330

Can a simple lad and his trusty cat ever really be a match for the evil King Rat and his devious plan for world domination?

Dick's adventures begin when he decides to seek his fortune in London where the streets are allegedly paved with gold, and all is going well until a huge mistake lands him in deep water - and then on to a ship taking him far far away from his true love . . .

Will the rats rule the world? Will Dick find a way to his destiny? Will true love triumph?

From December 1 until January 6.

Cheltenham Everyman

Cinderella www.everymantheatre.org.uk

01242 572573

Poor Cinderella's busy in the kitchen.

Buttons thinks she's lovelier than lollies but can he protect her from her hideous family? Will Cinders life be transformed with the help of a magical fairy and a large pumpkin?

Will Cinders find her Prince Charming or has mum got other ideas?

Thrills, spills, glass slippers, wicked tricks,transformations, magic, fantastic chases and three dames for the price of one!

December 1-January 13.

Birmingham Hippodrome

Cinderella

www.birminghamhippodrome.co.uk 0870 730 1234 Groups Hotline on 0870 730 4321

Cinderella, the most famous fairytale of them all, will be brought magically to life in a production that will delight all ages. Brian Conley will bring his comedy and vocal talents to the role of Buttons, and make the story his own by introducing his favourite characters Nick Frisby and Dangerous Brian to the plot! Appearing alongside him is Shobna Gulati, known to millions for her role as Sunita Alahan in Coronation Street and more recently in Where the Heart Is, as the Fairy Godmother. Cinderella runs from December 19 to January 28.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

Merry Wives - The Musical www.rsc.org.uk

0870 609 1110.

Award-winning comedian Alistair McGowan joins a stellar cast to play the jealous husband Frank Ford in a new musical version of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, Merry Wives - The Musical as part of the RSC's ongoing Complete Works Festival. The cast also includes Dame Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly and Alexandra Gilbreath as Mistress Ford. Haydn Gwynne is Mistress Page. From December 2 until February 10.

Birmingham Rep

Alice In Wonderland and The Snowman.

0121 236 4455 www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole to an enchanted garden and meet the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and Dormouse.

From the Duchess and her pepper-pot to the Queen of Hearts with her short temper, with every step in this spellbinding new world becomes curiouser and curiouser.

From November 29-December 30.

THE Christmas season's entertainment continues with this production which brings to life Raymond Briggs' The Snowman.

When a young boy's snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve, the two set off on a night time quest for adventure. From January 5-28.

Borough Theatre, Abergavenny

Cinderella

01873 850805 www.boroughtheatreabergavenny.co.uk

Swansea's Ballet Russe bring the classic tale and all its fairytale ingredients magically to life. Set to the rich and moving music of Serge Prokofiev,this is a unique version of a favourite that will delight the whole family. December 22 and 23.

Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Swan Lake on Ice

08700 402000. www.wmc.org.uk

Last year Wales Millennium Centre played host to the Imperial Ice Stars' production of Sleeping Beauty on Ice. Now it is set to do it again for the new production - Swan Lake On Ice. Trumpeted as being the largest staged Christmas show ever to take place in Wales, Swan Lake On Ice will run from December 21-January 7.

The Imperial Ice Stars have assembled 26 world-class performers who have won more than 200 medals between them at Olympic, World, European and National levels.

Couple these dancers with the breath-taking original Tchaikovsky music, and one totally frozen-over stage, and you have the perfect recipe for a wonderful winter evening.

Worcester Swan Theatre

Snow White, www.www.worcesterlive.co. uk/index.html 01905 611 427

Worcester is set for an extra special pantomime this year when Tamsin Stewart returns to her home county as the fairest of them all in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, which runs from December 5-30

Some familiar faces from previous Swan Theatre pantomimes will join Tamsin on stage. Ann Mayor, who played the giant's wife in last year's pantomime, will return as Clara with Daniel Whitley reprising his role as the classic clown Muddles. Last year's Jack is this year's Fairy in the form of Kirsty Holmes with Simon Bell playing Prince Valliant and Richard Curnow as the evil Queen Grizelda.

Wyeside Theatre, Builth Wells

Twelfth Night www.wyeside.co.uk 01982 552555.

Cross-dressing comedy and handsome hunks in tights - it must be Christmas. It must be panto. It must be Oddsocks! It's fast-moving fun in a panto with a difference, as Oddsocks turn Shakespeare's classic comedy into a festive treat for all the family. December 28 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Liza Goddard as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, at Malvern.