J.J. Henry talks to Katherine MacAlister about playing Mother Goose in this year's Chipping Norton Theatre panto

When J.J.Henry went into Boots to ask for some more eyeliner, the assistant looked vaguely alarmed, but then dressing up as a dame twice a day takes its toll on any decent woman’s vanity case.

This year looks set to be no different, and J.J must have done something right, having been asked back again to play none other than Mother Goose herself this time in the famous Chipping Norton Theatre panto.

Luckily multi-tasking is J.J’s forte and whilst in Jack and The Beanstalk he had to contend with being a milkmaid, playing the guitar, ukulele and harmonica, wearing two different bras, a succession of dresses, singing, dancing and wearing heels and false eyelashes, this year is even more ambitious.

Magic tricks galore, a dress that lights up like something in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, an endless succession of rejuvenation cream, lots of new songs to learn, the bongos to play, and yodelling to teach, means J.J has his work cut out for him.

“At least I’m not actually a goose, so I have to count my blessings,” he laughs. “Instead I run a goosery for abandoned geese and have an adopted daughter called Heidi..... but just the one bra. It’s all going on.”

Raring to go and delighted to have been asked back as the dame, considering last year was the 28-year-old’s first time, J.J says: “Chippy is such a special theatre and we have a brand new panto with brand new songs to deliver. I even have a love duet to perform,” he grins, “a sort of Whitney Houston, Lionel Ritchie-style number.”

With 91 shows to get through first, though, he’ll need his wits about him.

“The audience keeps us going. When it’s a 10am matinee on a cold January morning, they have an energy all of their own, and we feed off that. It’s brilliant.”

Does being brought up on a farm near Brighton help with the farmyard theme? “Yes, I think it was my father’s proudest moment last year watching his son on stage milking a fake cow while wearing a dress...” he laughs, “Especially as he’s a dairy farmer.”

A magician in real life however, means J.J also has lots of tricks up his sleeve for the show. Specialising in close-up magic rather than stage illusions, he says he’s “more moody David Blaine than happy Paul Daniels [see right],” before adding: “so you’ll need to keep your wits about you.”

As for the cons, J.J is hard pushed to think of any. “Shaving,” he says finally. “My skin doesn’t suit shaving every day, so I cut myself to pieces and still have a 5 o’clock shadow at 9am.

“Wearing high heels all day is a doddle in comparison,” he adds, “so by the end of last year’s panto I was skipping about in them.”

A natural dame then, it would seem.

Mother Goose
The Theatre, Chipping Norton
Tuesday, November 18, to Sunday, January 11
Tickets: Call 01608 642350 or visit chippingnortontheatre.com