ELBOWING her club-footed 'siblings' out of the way to slot her dainty tootsies in glass slippers has become second nature for a seasoned Cinderella like Victoria Farley.

After an acclaimed stint as the downtrodden orphan in Hayes, she is preparing to cower under a head rag, ride souped up gourds and be rescued by a somewhat myopic Prince Charming in the nick of time all over again at the Wyvern this Christmas. When the shoe fits, as they say....

“The first panto I did was Cinderella so for me it’s the most magical, it’s definitely my favourite,” reveals the actress whose first job out of drama school was as Cosette’s understudy in Les Miserables’ 25th anniversary tour (I was very lucky,” she hastens to add.)

Her panto heroine kudos – she has played Wendy in a zany revival of Peter Pan – should come in handy as she contends with the madcap trio that is inveterate prankster Dame David Ashley, up-for-a-laugh prince, Ryan Thomas, and impish Ugly Sister Louie Westwood.

Unlike her co-stars who will be allowed, nay, egged on to wreak blissful havoc at the Wyvern for our viewing pleasure, Victoria will be expected to be the voice of reason and effectively keep the plot ticking along in the face of utter mayhem, as befits a pantomime princess.

“The sisters, especially, have a lot of free reign to put their own stamp on things,” she observes. “But I have to always remember that the kids watching believe that I’m Cinderella and have to keep believing that until the end. It’s a responsibility to keep that going through all the chaos that happens around you. It’s always really rewarding when the kids call out and get involved. You know you’re doing your job.

“But trying not to join is always the hardest part. I know they’re going to be absolutely hilarious but I have to keep a straight face.” She pauses, glancing at David Ashley cackling away in a corner of the room, carrying on as normal in his orange fur headdress and garish leopard pelt. “I’ve heard David’s reputation,” she adds knowingly.

But dodging booby traps, airborne props and foiling her co-stars’ wicked plot to crack her up on stage is but a small price to pay to reprise the role of Cinders and – she chirps eagerly - serenade spectators.

“I just love it,” she gushes. “Since I can remember I’ve wanted to perform. I probably sang before I could sing,” she laughs. “I was one of those annoying children, singing in the classroom, at the top of my lungs in the car, in my room. I used to watch musicals on TV all the time. For me it was just magical and that’s what this is about. I want to keep the story magical, make sure that the children are with us every step of the way and that they continue believing it after they leave the theatre.”

She may have proved her stripes as Cinders once, but with a widely different script and ditties to memorise, not to mention new stunts and a fresh pair of nemesis to placate – all in just ten days of marathon rehearsals - she is not immune to the occasional bout of nerves.

“It’s the shortest rehearsal I’ve had for any show; a musical is four weeks,” she confides nervously. “But it’s all good fun and you always get through it – just.”