Christmas family fun is to be found on Norfolk's coast, but beware of the giant! Jack And The Beanstalk is this year's pantomime in Hunstanton and Dame Priscilla Trot can be found ruling the roost. Featuring West End musical star Lydia Griffiths as Jack, the return to Hunstanton of Neil Hurst as Silly Billy and former Corrie star Alan Rothwell as the King - underneath the bustles, bloomers and feather boas is 39-year-old Craig Cowdroy.  | | Dame Trot falls for the King |
A Yorkshire lad, Dame Trot is inspired by Craig's northern roots. A buxom, brassy, no-nonsense bird with an eye for the men. "I love the family audience. You go out there and you've no expectations, so it's like walking a tightrope," said Craig. "It's exciting and a challenge every time you go on stage. It's great to be able to pick on the audience, to feed them the lines and get the reaction you want. "You just want to give as much pleasure to people as possible, it blows away your mind when you get a fantastic audience," he added. A lifetime of theatreCraig is usually found working at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, bringing to life the Queen's collection - but the call of Christmas sparkle has seen him swap his suit of armour for a dame's dress over the last six years. "Having grown up with the theatre I've sort of followed my mum's theatrical progression," he said. "I watched all the different dames she was with. Priscilla Trot is like a cross between Lily Savage, that rough dog look that I go for, with a bit of Les Dawson and touch of Danny La Rue. "Seeing clips of the black and white movies of Arthur Lucan doing Old Mother Riley and all that, as I grew up I just thought 'What a crazy world' and I want to be part of it," he added. Home-from-home | | Craig takes a breather from Dame Trot |
With four weeks in Hunstanton, the Norfolk seaside town has very much become a home-from-home for Craig and Dame Trot. They've been made to feel welcome and are looking forward to Christmas on the coast. "I think every audience has been different so far, they're a rowdy bunch and it's nice they get the northern character. I think they've warmed to Priscilla Trot," said Craig. "I'm looking forward to my stay here. You're away from home and stuck in a theatre so the only outside world you get to see is your audience. "I'm enjoying Hunstanton and will enjoy Christmas here," he added. Jack And The Beanstalk runs at the Princess Theatre in Hunstanton until Wednesday, 3 January, 2007. For more details call 01485 532252. | 
