Julia Worsley's fourth pantomime at the Kings in Southsea

She was Queen Rat in Dick Whittington, she was also the baddie in Jack and The Beanstalk and last year she was one of the step sisters tormenting Cinderella.

This year she's a villain no more, appearing as one of the mermaids plus Mother in Hook – The Further Adventures of Peter Pan from December 1-31, but it will be a smaller role for Julia on stage as this year she is making her debut as assistant director.

“The title role in Hook is such a big, big baddie role and we're so lucky to have Shaun Williamson so it has meant that we can think a little bit more creatively and it has given me the opportunity to work on the creative side as well. I will be one of the mermaids and I also get to play Wendy's mum at the beginning but I'm also working behind the scenes this year which is something I have always wanted to have a go at. But I've always been a little bit nervous. You assume that because you can do one thing you can do the other but that's not always the case so I'm very lucky to get the chance to cut my teeth with such a special and talented creative team as we have got here. I don't think you get a more intense theatre experience than panto with just a very short rehearsal period so it will be a great test. I've never done anything behind the scenes before. I have been asked to before but I always felt a little bit nervous and lacking in confidence. It's like if you can sing it doesn't necessarily mean than you can teach other people to sing so I've just been a bit unsure, but this is a good time to try.

“People ask you what your favourite thing is as an actress and one of the main things I like is TV and film because it's very technical and very focused. You don't start at the beginning and play it right through to the end. Your brain has to be in a lot of different places at once and your brain just has to work in a different way. I've always been in awe of people who can do that and always been very intrigued by that and it just feels that working behind the scenes in a theatre is going to be a little bit like that because you're also looking at things in such a different way. I'm really looking forward to doing it. I know I am good at working with actors but for this I will be working with all sorts of other people like the set designer and the producers and the lighting people. I just don't know how it will be but it will be a great experience, a real learning curve, and if I feel the confidence afterwards then it might be a chance to get involved in other shows as well.”

Julia’s not sure yet about directing: “I'm very much a team player so the assistant director role is my aim at the moment and I think I would have to do quite a few rounds of working as an assistant director to be fully confident enough to take the helm of the whole thing but who knows. Ultimately probably yes I would love to do some directing as well.”