Claire Sweeney tells Tamzin Hindmarch why playing the Wicked Queen has cast a spell on her

"SHAAAAT Aaaap!" sneers a devil-horned Claire Sweeney as she embraces her Christmas panto role as Snow White's evil stepmother, the wicked queen.

Her audience, suitably offended, hiss and boo back with glee, and in return she sashays off in anger, the skirt of her glitzy crimson costume swirling past them in a flurry.

Before she exits stage right, she whips her long golden tresses around one last time and scowls at her bemused onlookers with all the sparkly-eyed fury of Miss Piggy on gin.

"I'm playing her like Alexis off Dynasty," she says.

"She's very dramatic, sexy, witty and evil, and her costumes are like that of a Vegas showgirl."

As always, it has been a hectic year for the one-time Brookside star who, in addition to her television roles, has since gone on to earn huge respect in the West End, particularly for her stint as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and only finished a national tour with Shout! a week before beginning rehearsals in Stoke-on-Trent.

It was in Guys And Dolls, however, that she first met Jonathan Wilkes, The Regent pantomime's director again this year, and Christian Patterson – who played one of the ugly sisters last year, and is appearing under the guise of the hilarious henchman this year.

The role was an offer she couldn't refuse, allowing her to be close to family in her native Liverpool for Christmas as well as working among friends.

"I came here for a few reasons," adds Claire, "because of my family, because I love Richard Wingate (The Regent's chief executive), because Christian and Johnny were my mates while I was in Guys And Dolls and because I'm playing the Wicked Queen. What more could I want?

"I've been having a good laugh with Johnny and Christian during rehearsals and Daniel is a little sweetheart. He was a debt collector and a boxer until he won Stoke's Top Talent.

"Now he's putting in a lot of hard work and is fitting in so well with everybody.

"It's lovely to see him fulfilling his dream."

Yet despite her status among actors in British musical theatre and her face being plastered over women's magazines from time-to-time, there is no ego or diva when it comes to this celebrity – but rather a 36-year-old who has her feet firmly on the ground. She simply loves what she does for a living.

"I'll be at home with mum and dad for Christmas Day," she says simply.

"I'll be opening my presents then having lunch with them, then we'll sit round the fire watching telly and I'll probably watch the Queen's Speech. I'm quite traditional in that sense," she continues.

Looking genuinely content to be bossing Jonathan Wilkes about the stage (as he plays her dopey but blue-blooded servant Muddles) she admits she relishes bad girl roles.

"It's a really well-written script," she adds, of the lines written for her by former Coronation Street actor Eric Potts.

"There are plenty of jokes in it and there's plenty of high drama, and I also get to do songs, which is great, like Duffy's Mercy and a version of one of the songs from Chicago.

"I always really wanted to play the wicked queen because I remember seeing her in the Disney film when I was little.

"I thought she was gorgeous and glamorous, and I always thought Snow White was a bit wet."

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs can be seen at The Regent Theatre in Hanley until Sunday, January 11. Call the box office on 0870 060 6649.