Viv Hardwick discovers that Andrew Agnew, alias PC Plum, and actress Victoria Serra are all prepared for Snow White at Sunderland

WHAT’S the story for Balamory’s Andrew Agnew, better known as PC Plum, who is trading his truncheon for a spot of clowning as Muddles in Sunderland Empire’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs this Christmas?

“Muddles isn’t the best-known of comic characters because when you do Snow White you still do have to have the traditional roles. So, Muddles is the audience friend you need plus the role of dame which falls to the Nurse (Philip Meeks),” he says.

“I did Snow White many years ago and we didn’t have a dame and there was a kind of henchman as Chamberlain. This is going to be more exciting for me because I’ll be working with a dame and that’s where the comedy comes from. The story is that the Nurse is Muddles’ mum and he is Snow White’s best friend,” adds Agnew.

Agnew admits his most nerve-wracking appearance of all time was appearing on BBC1’s Celebrity Pointless recently alongside Balamory co-star Julie Wilson Nimmo.

“It’s filmed as if it was live and there’s no going back. I think we gave some good answers and got to the head-to-head round but we’ve didn’t pronounce one of the answers properly and the other team (from BBC’s Horrible Histories based on Sunderland’s Terry Deary’s best-selling books) nipped in and stole the point with the right pronunciation. It was rigged,” jokes Agnew.

“They knew their stuff as well and it was quite a good contest. We came unstuck because we said kimono dragon and it should have been komodo dragon. It seems to be a bit harsh, but that’s the nature of the show,” says the actor about the quiz show which thrives on people having in-depth knowledge on a subject.

“Lots of people say they know really silly things and I’m quite a big musical theatre fan so I know quite a lot of stuff that’s obscure and it’s nice to show off that knowledge. My fear was that we’d be the guys who give the 200-point answers and go out in the first round.”

The surprise for the Pointless audience was that Balamory stopped filming back in 2005.

“It was so many years ago, and keeps being repeated that it stands the test of time. I meet people who are now 18 and were fans. My brother and sister-in-law have just had a baby and I know for a fact that in three or four years that Balamory will still be there to be watched alongside the Tweenies and The Teletubbies,” he says.

There are episodes where technology has changed over time “but those ones aren’t shown any more”, says Agnew of the 254 episodes that can air.

“I think one talked about using computer communication before Skype and the terms don’t fit anymore, but there are very few like that,” he adds.

“I think that it’s down to Balamory that I’m still around and working and I went back to the island a couple of years ago to film some bits and pieces. Before this all started it was just a nice little island and now it’s gone crazy with what they call Toddler Tours. It’s not Disneyland, but it is a beautiful place with lovely-coloured houses,” Agnew says.

The actor currently directs for CBeebies on Woolly and Tig and will soon be launching a series called My Pet And Me where children tell a presenter how they look after their animals.

VICTORIA Serra is from a Barrow-based entertainment family and started out her pantomime career in her home town in Snow White, so returning to the role for Sunderland Empire is as welcome as a compliment from a magic mirror on the wall.

“My mother (Yvonne Patterson) is an actress and I grew up watching her on stage as the princess, playing the wicked queen and other roles. Panto has been a family tradition at Christmas. Snow White is ideal for me because I have pale skin and dark hair,” she says.

Playing the heroine usually means that Snow White is at the mercy of the humour and evilness of the character actors such as Su Pollard, who plays The Wicked Queen this year.

“Luckily for the princess is that you’ve got the children rooting for you and they are on your side. Panto is such a great way of story telling and it’s about keeping the kids in your corner so that when you’re biting that poisoned apple all of them are shouting, ‘Don’t do it, don’t bite the apple’. Although there is always one charmer inviting me to kill myself,” Serra jokes.

Having played a few baddies in straight plays, the actress feels that she is ideally equipped to move over to being booed later in her career.

“But it’s a treat to be a princess at Christmas,” she says.

Serra isn’t sure of the names of her seven dwarfs just yet, mainly because Disney has the rights to the famous gem miners’ titles. “Once I’ve learned them, everything else will be simple. And I do believe we will have a full seven dwarfs.”

Serra has played Sophie in Mamma Mia on the international tour, Jenny in Love Story, Kate McGowan in Titanic, Marty in Grease, Wendla in Spring Awakening and Amy Delamaro in Burlesque, but took a real gamble early in her career by training in film and TV in New York.

“My father is American and we travelled back and forth and I decided to do a summer school and then I got a scholarship before deciding to go into theatre. I love live theatre because TV is all stop and start, while when you’re on stage and in character and interacting with the audience. I love being in the wings and getting excited about my first song,” says Serra, who is likely to be performing an Ed Sheeran song and Happy by Pharrell Williams.

Does she expect many tips from mum during her Sunderland run?

“You know what it’s like. When it’s your mum you don’t want to take the advice. If it’s anyone else you’d listen, but when it’s your mum you say, ‘Oh mum what do you know’. So, know we put the business to one side. She’s very supportive indeed,” Serra says. Her father (Victor Serra) is a retired ship cruise director and Serra says: “We’re a bit like the Von Trapp family because my brother is also an actor and my grandfather was a jazz singer. My mum has never talked about me doing something else because she’s always been a performer. Even when waiting for work, she’s never given up and that’s always been an inspiration for me. You have to be prepared to work in a restaurant between jobs and not get upset. That is the key.”

Her favourite piece of advice (from others) is “You should go on X Factor. My reply is that it’s better for you if you can fill a live show and get people away from watching X Factor. I also think it’s great for your stamina to do so many shows in a short period of time.”

Snow White runs from Friday, December 12 to Sunday, January 4. Box Office: 0844-871-3022 or atgtickets.com/sunderland