Anita Harris talks to Steve Pratt about her long stage and screen careers which all began when she was offered the chance to dance in Las Vegas

Anita Harris insists on kissing before telling. Those talking to her about her forthcoming pantomime appearance at York Grand Opera House must first submit to kissing cheek-to-cheek before a conversation that takes in everything from meeting Sinatra to flying high as Peter Pan.

She's dressed in black, albeit with sparkles and glitter and feathers, as befits someone appearing in Cinderella as the Baroness, ie the scullery maid's wicked stepmother. "I’m going to enjoy being very naughty, really bad. I shall do my Michael Jackson bad. Such fun though being naughty and evil," she enthuses.

She hasn't changed a bit (is there a Dorian Gray-style portrait in her attic?) looking much the same as she always has. Age isn't mentioned, merely referred to as "over 21" (she's 72 if you must know).

She's played the York venue in the past, in plays and in ballet dancer Marguerite Porter's charity show to raise money to help young dancers. "That was a wonderful night for a million reasons – to keep the ballet movement up here in the North so buoyant and bring out all the new talent and show you don’t have to be in London necessarily. She loves to find new talent and bring it forward to the public."

Young Anita herself was discovered ice-skating, having taken to the ice when the family moved from Somerset to Bournemouth. She was partnering skater Courtney Jones, who became world dance champion five times, at Queens ice rink in London when she was talent-spotted and offered the chance to dance in a Las Vegas show.

"So my darling parents had to make a huge decision very, very quickly – do I stay on at school or do they let me fly away to Las Vegas in a dance company?

"I was at school in a convent so it was the most incredibly experience going to Las Vegas. I value the gift that they gave me to let me go. Obviously I was heavily chaperoned. It was a proper dance company and we were all looked after very well."

The show was at the El Rancho. On their nights off the chaperone took the girls to other shows featuring the likes of cinema sex bomb Mae West ("she was a wonderful lady and had time for all of us") across the road at the Flamingo and to the Desert Inn to see "old blue eyes" and she meet Sinatra. "I had a seat right at the front and the chaperone took me round to meet him. It was very, very brief but he was so charming".

In panot, she's best known as Peter Pan. "For me it was more of an acting role than a singing pantomime role because of the brilliance of JM Barrie’s writing. I had a wonderful director who made me understand that children, mums and dads, grandmas and grandpas will listen if you truly believe – even if you truly believe in fairies.

"I've played Aladdin and Jack and Dick and Robinson and loved playing principal boy. I’m very sorry that boys are now playing boys, but such is the way of life. Peter Pan was different. It was a truly magical time for me.

"The first time I did it was for two solid years and it never lost that magic of flying through the window and landing on the mantelpiece. The fairy dust was always doing its job. Flying that first time is something you can’t explain particularly – literally flying from behind the scenes and then flying through this huge window, and taken into that world. It’s lovely."

The Baron in Cinderella is played by Last Of The Summer Wine star Tom Owen. They played husband and wife in a touring play a few years ago. Her husband and manager in real life is Mike Margolis. "41 years and we’re still trying to get it right. No, he’s my rock and I value all of that very much," she says.

"I look back over the years and working with the Billy Daintys, Frankie Howerds, the Jack Tripps (he was a wonderful dame) and George Laceys. What you do starting out so young working with these giants is you learn so much from these people and just want to continue with that quality of craft if you can.

"I've been at the Palladium with Harry Secombe, Tommy Cooper, Clive Dunn, and all these wonderful people. At the same time we have to look forward and embrace what is happening now. I’m not saying I want to make it how it was, just take the best of how it was and put it in the melting pot if you like.

"You have to believe in yourself because there will be a million people giving you advice. But just be true to yourself and have the courage to try and put that forward. That’s one side. The other side is try not to be too devastated with your first setback or rejection."

She shows no sign of easing up with three dozen or so gigs already lined up next year. The only downside is the constant travelling. "Even just coming into this beautiful theatre, it’s got these lovely spirit messages going. Just being able to get out there and sing and do my thing is lovely."

  • Cinderella: York Grand Opera House, Dec 12-Jan 4. Box Office: 0844-8713024 and atgtickets.com/york