Leon Craig is the don of pantomime dames and it’s no wonder he won such a warm welcome ahead of his return to to Oxford Playhouse as Jolena Jollychops. Katherine MacAlister speaks to the diva

There are panto dames and panto dames, but Leon Craig is in a league of his own. That Oxford Playhouse has managed to entice him back is a massive feather in its cap, because Leon is deluged with panto requests from theatres all over the UK. Yet here he is, rehearsing in Oxford, ready to give it his all as only he knows how.

“It wasn’t a hard decision. Oxford is so beautiful and the Playhouse team are amazing,” he says. “It’s a great theatre and the audiences are fantastic. Plus, Beauty and The Beast is such a spectacle, with circus tricks and silk ropes and acrobatics.

“There is so much going on and everyone is working really hard to get it ready in time. Peter [Duncan the director] knows what he wants and puts his stamp on things.”

Anyone who’s seen Leon in action will agree, having made an indelible impression with his Doris Doughnut in Dick Whittington two years ago. Even so, when taking him out and about in Oxford, the promo team were nearly mobbed by passers-by who recognised Leon’s dame immediately.

“I was quite surprised people remembered me — it was a bit of a shock. They all seemed really pleased she was back!” he says.

Returning in all his glory as Jolina Jollychops in Beauty and The Beast, joined by his sidekick Jolly Jack, a stand up comedian in real life, Oxford is in for a real treat.

“I’m a Gemini,” Leon shrugs, “but I do feel like she’s a separate person.” A diva through and through then? “Yes, but for all the right reasons. She has certain standards to maintain because people come to see the dame. So I’m at the theatre by 8am every day warming up and getting ready. I don’t think people realise how much work goes into a panto. It’s one of the hardest forms of theatre, and gets quite crazy backstage.

Just getting into all that kit twice a day must be quite an undertaking? “I’m 7ft in all my attire and my lashes are 1.5 inches long so it takes a while to get ready, but people want a fresh dame and you can’t be half hearted,” he says seriously. ”Besides, I have a reputation to uphold, so even when I'm exhausted I still get up on stage and give it my all.”

If you doubt his diva’s intent then consider this: Leon has his own costume maker in Manchester and his own dresser for Oxford, he has a specially made shed in his garden just for his dame outfits, which he has since grown out of and now rents a warehouse to accommodate his finery. He goes to about 20 pantomimes a year to check out the competition and ensure he’s top of his game, and the 32 year-old has been in pantomime every year since he was 17 when he landed his first dame role.

So where did this vocation come from? “I used to watch all the old classic pantomimes with my grandfather and Danny La Rue was our favourite. I was amazed by all the feathers and sequins and wondered how they got to look like that. So I applied to be a dame aged 17 and was astounded when I got the part. They were brave to take me on at that age but they must have seen something in me,” Leon says. “Of course I had no idea of the hard work involved but I’ve learnt a lot since then and I’m still learning. It’s been an amazing journey.”

So whats’ the secret? “Well my dame is quite naughty and saucy. I make sure I’m physically and vocally at the top of my game. I work extremely hard and I love it. I’m a professional, so I look after myself.”

A real responsibility then? “Yes, because a lot rests on the dame and you need the audience in the palm of your hand because panto isn’t an app or an ipod or a mac, it’s live theatre.”

And then Leon pauses, rolls his eyes and adds: “It’s not Shakespeare either though. It’s just fun.”

The classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast runs at Oxford Playhouse from Friday December 5 to Sunday January 18. Box Office on 01865 305305 or www.oxfordplayhouse.com