EVERYTHING is shipshape at The Maltings Arts Centre in preparation for the annual in-house panto – Sinbad. Lanternfish Theatre Company has already been dazzling school and art centre audiences up and down the country with the new show, so now here’s your chance to share in the fun with friends and family.

Director Xavier Fontenille says there’s been a bit of a shake up this year as regular cast members have moved on and so there’s new blood in the Lanternfish crew.

“The show will be introducing Adam Shorey, who’s well known from the St Albans theatre circuit,” says Xavier. “He teaches at local drama schools and was previously seen in Lanternfish’s Oliver Twist. Then there’s Nikola Sheil, a recent graduate from Herts Theatre School. I snapped her up. She’s a natural performer and has a beautiful voice.”

Xavier tells me they’re sticking with the regular three performer format so with Adam playing Sinbad and Nikola as the princess, that leaves Xavier himself playing the traditional panto dame.

“This is the first show where I play the dame throughout the show,” he says. “Usually she’s just a splash of colour in one or two scenes but you can have so much fun with it – it’s such a comedy gift.”

So what kind of dame will Xavier be?

“She’s more glam than the last couple of dames. In fact, she’s quite a siren – straight off the Paris catwalk.”

To tie-in with this couture element of the show, children visiting the panto on Tuesday, December 23 can take part in a workshop from 11.30am to 1pm for ages six to ten of all artistic abilities. Those involved will be making turbans, waistcoats, belts and fishing gear – which they can then wear for the afternoon performance. This Xavier says will involve lots of participation.

“The aim of our shows is to have at least six or so kids on stage, but this time there’s scope for literally every child in the audience to come up.”

The show, which features Lanternfish’s trademark jack-in-a-box set and fluid script both created by Tony Peters, begins on the Island of Serendip where a monster is tearing up the place and the natives are being evacuated to Sinbad’s boat.

“The whole audience becomes his crew and along with the princess they do battle with the monster to see if they can save the island. Then there’s a journey at sea on the big ship Collander and a storm and shipwreck.”

You can be sure the adaptable set will keep up with all the action but are the cast prepared to weather the storm?

“The first few performances have been a bit of a shock as we don’t have control any more and have to hand it over to the audience, which is a massive challenge.

“We can’t rely on routines or safety nets, and it takes a while to get that fluidity where they can enjoy it and have fun with different things the audience throw at them – and we’ve had most things thrown at us so the show itself becomes a flexible monster.

“The other afternoon the teachers were having a bit of a rest and we had kids climbing on stage to do battle with the actors, which was kind of overstepping the mark but it is a measure of how captivating it is.

Don’t miss the boat and see Sinbad at The Maltings Arts Centre, Level 2 of the Maltings Shopping Centre from 20-24 December and 26-28 December.

Tickets: 01727 844222 (£9, family ticket £30)