Adam Rickitt is showing Norfolk just how charming he really is, playing the principal role of Prince Charming in Cinderella at the Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday, 20 January, 2007. No stranger to the public-eye, his career was launched nearly a decade ago after being catapulted into the limelight as soap-star hunk Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street. After time on the street, Adam then moved to the world of pop and pin-up before returning to the boards, touring in the acclaimed musical Rent ahead of a record breaking run in the West End. A number of theatre tours, television work and a burgeoning political career later, Adam's path has brought him to Norwich - but he admits that a move to panto wasn't an easy choice.  | | Adam Rickitt on webTV set |
"I never thought I'd do panto as there's always been a bit of a stigma attached to it from an acting perspective," he said in a webTV interview with BBC Norfolk. "But when Sir Ian McKellen did one a couple of years ago it made me think 'Well if Sir Ian McKellen can do it, why should anyone else be uppity about it?' "Don't get me wrong. It's not Chekov, it's not Shakespeare, but it's just good fun. "The idea of doing something that's so audience orientated… trying to gauge their reactions and play to them is, from an acting point of view, really different and really challenging," he added. Grueling rehearsalsAdam arrived in Norfolk at the start of December for two weeks of grueling rehearsals ahead of the opening night. "I didn't think it could be legal to have something that was for kids to be such hard work," he said.  | | Trevor Jary (left) and Adam Rickitt in rehearsals |
"The hours are amazing – but more than that, each show is like a new show. "You have your set lines, but it's so audience orientated that each show's like a different show. But that's what makes it so much fun. "You have no idea what's going to come out of people's mouths. It's like going up there completely naked and saying 'Take a pot-shot at me'. Christmas tradition"I'm a very Christmassy person and as a family we always went to a panto every year. "It became such a part of the tradition of Christmas for me that the idea of being part of that [by starring in pantomime] for somebody else really appealed," he added. With thousands of people coming to see Cinderella, box-office records being broken and the theatre critics suitably impressed - it seems that Cinderella isn't the only one to have gone to the ball this Christmas. - This transcript is an extract from the longer webTV interview. Use the links on this page to watch the interview in full, which includes extracts from the show and behind the scenes footage.
Cinderella runs at the Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday, 20 January, 2007. | 
